Are there any legends that the Plains Indian tribes retain? The horse vanished from the Americas during the last ice age. The horse was re-introduced by the spaniards in the 1580’s-first by Coronado, who may have left a mare and a stallion in what is now New Mexico.
My question: have the native americans retained any legends about htis? By the time of Louis and Clark, the plains indians had fully learned how to ride and care for horses-one could say that they “re-domesticated” these animals.
Anybody know more?
Bump.
Because I think this is a great question.
I’m pretty sure the horses were still close to domesticated in genetic heritage, and so were ‘feral’ rather than wild. Once you caught and tamed one, it was pretty much like any domesticated horse.
Actually, I’ve more than once wondered how Native American religion accounts for the extinction of their entire way of life at the hands of the whites.
Just a guess on my part.
The Indians who lived inland would have most likely first seen horses when the white explorers/trappers/whatever came by. Or they would have heard about them from other tribes who had seen them first hand.
This would have taken place over a fairly short time, 100 years maybe. That’s from the time the Spanish landed in Mexico until most of the North American Indians would have least heard rumors of horses and white men.
My guess is that there just wasn’t enough time for legends and/or myths to take hold. They were almost immediatly aware that horses came with the whites.
There doesn’t seem to be an origin story, if this is to what you refer. I am not of a Plains Nation, but I have never heard of such origin stories and i should think I would have been in a position to have heard such stories if they were prevalent.
Perhaps only tangentially related is the fact that my people, the Creek, as well as some indigenous Mexican languages refer to the horse as the “big deer”, rakko eco in Mvskoke (Creek). The lack of a name that is not derivative may indicate that horses were not considered to have been amongst the original animals here.
Such a question is not directly addressed to my knowledge. Although our religious traditions are not monolithic, deterioration of our culture is addressed only in warnings to return to traditions and “Indianess”, much like a Christian returning to the “straight and narrow”.
Maybe the Ghost Dance movement was the last great attempt to answer that question (based on my very superficial knowledge, of course).
That is not incorrect. Wevoka promoted a turning away from debauchery and a return to the Old Ways. We would subsequently be reunited with our elders and ancestors, and the grasslands, forests and game would return. Rather like NDN Heaven.
I’m not sure that plains Indians would have learned to catch and tame feral horses before they were exposed to the use of domesticated horses, either directly from the Spanish, or from neighboring tribes that had previously acquired them.
At least initially, I suspect that the first horses were obtained by either by stealing already tames horses from the Spanish or catching ones that had gone astray. Later on, Indians in more remote areas probably obtained them in similar ways from adjacent groups.
Origin of horses in the Blackfoot culture.
The native cultures where and still are to a large part oral traditions. In my perusal of myths and legends there are many stories that stand out to be influenced by current events, or events that occurred subsequent to the stories origin.
By trading?
I give you a horse - you give me your daughter 
Indian: But I also need a stallion!
Whitie: Okeh. I want your three daughters.
Yeah, because everyone knows we value horses far more than we do our women. :dubious:
What the first version wasn’t offensive enough, so you tweaked it?
[Moderating]
Okay, that’s enough of that.
Anyone who wishes to comment further on this may take it to the pit.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
I’ve heard stories of Native Americans trading slaves for horses, but not their own family.
Man, that legend really flies in the face of the whole “noble savage” myth that the Indians hunted responsibly and used every part of the animal. The main character goes on an animal killing spree to make more attractive clothing for himself, killing multiple elk just for the teeth (two teeth from each elk, to be used as beads), strangling multiple eagles just for their feathers, killing a coyote to be used as bait to catch the eagles, goats for the tips of their horns, and porcupines for their skins. Nothing is said about how wasteful he is, and he is rewarded by a god for his efforts.
Sometimes yes. A peasant woman was quoted in Vietnam as saying if her husband, the father of her children died, it would be sad, but if the water buffalo died, the family would starve.
With the Indians, depends how bad the horses were needed for hunting.
I didn’t mean to be offensive. I sincerely apologize.
Anyway, don’t worry CateAyo, Indian used horses :smack: , ambushed whitie, recovered daughters 
No, as an Indian I must disagree. The customs and attitudes of others are what they are I am sure, but even in the minority of Native American tribes and nations that were patriarchal, women were not considered property to be owned, traded and used for barter.
Thank you. Your willingness to apologize speaks well of your integrity and character.