"Nolka Niwaskwe"(Deer Spirit)
by Gerard Tsonakwa, Abenaki
"Nolka Niwaskwe"
(Deer Spirit)
by Gerard Tsonakwa, Abenaki
The first Pudjinks-skwes told our people to take the life of
the Deer into our lives but not to take the spirit too. To preserve the population of
Deer, the hunting must be reasonable and an account must be kept with the Spirit of Deer.
Through offerings, prayer, and ritual, an arrangement is made. The hunter doesn't take the
first Deer he sees, for this is a Spirit Deer testing him. The hunter must show that he
isn't greedy and that his heart is right in this matter. Even though he has fasted to
prove his great hunger and need, the hunter lets this first Deer go by. When the right
Deer is taken, the hunter must show grief, use every part of the body, and thank the Deer.
Welcome
the Caribou Man, pg. 22
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