{"collection":"Native American","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/nam/ca/dow/dow22.htm","path":"nam/ca/dow/dow22.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/nam/ca/dow/dow22.htm","text":"The Dawn of the World, by C. Hart Merriam, [1910]\nFRAGMENT OF CREATION STORY OF THE NORTHERN MEWUK\nAs told at Wal'-le and H\u0101'-cha-nah\nPERSONAGES\nHe-le'-jah the Cougar or Mountain Lion-man\nOo-soo'-ma-te the Grizzly Bear-woman, wife of He-le'-jah\nPaht'-ki-yu the Raccoon-woman, another wife of He-le'-jah\nPe-t\u0101'-le the Little Lizard-man, who gave the people five fingers\nHE-LE'-JAH the Cougar or Mountain Lion had two wives, Oo-soo'-ma-te the Grizzly Bear-woman and Paht'-ki-yu the Raccoon-woman. Their children looked a little like people but still were not people. Every year there were more children, and as they grew up and had children of their own, the children came to look more and more like people, only they had no fingers.\nThen Pe-t\u0101'-le the Lizard gave them five fingers and they became real people (Me'wuk).","title":"The Dawn of the World: Part I: Ancient Myths: How the Children of He-le'-jah Became People","type":"page"}