Ne-naw-bo-zhoo and the Great Fish

" This Ottawa and Chippewa legend is, that once upon a time there was a great fish that resided in a certain lake, and as the people passed through this lake in their canoes, this great fish was accustomed to come after those crossing the lake and if he overtook them he would swallow them up, canoe and all, like swallowing a little clam in the shell. So Ne-naw-bo-zhoo said to himself, "This great fish will eat up all my nephews. Now I must somehow dispose of him." So finally he went to the lake in his canoe expressly to look for the fish, singing daring songs as he went along. After he came in the midst of it, there he stopped, but kept on singing the following words; "Mishe-la-ne-gwe Pe-le-wi-ko-lishim, Pe-le-wi-ko-lishim" -- daring the fish to come and swallow him up. So at last the great fish, Mish-la-me-gwe, did come and swallow the great Ne-naw-bo-zhoo. But this was just what he wanted. After being swallowed, he was able to dispose of his big fish, for with his weapons he caused the great fish such pain that it became crazy. He started on full speed, but not knowing which way he was steering because he was now out of his senses, so he ran against the dry land, but as he was going so fast his whole body was on dry land and soon expired, after which Ne-naw-bo-zhoo came out like the prophet Jonah and he went home and sat down to smoke his pipe, perfectly satisfied that he had saved many people by disposing of the great fish."



Killarney History
				Ne-naw-bo-zhoo and the Great Fish


	This story was related by Andrew J. Blackbird or Mack-aw-de-be-nessy (Black Hawk) of the Odawa Nation, in his 1897 book Indians of Michigan: The Ottawa and Chippewa.

		From Chapter IX Some of the legends of the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians Respecting the Great Flood of the World -- A Person Swallowed Up Alive Like a Prophet Jonah.

	" This Ottawa and Chippewa legend is, that once upon a time there was a great fish that resided in a certain lake, and as the people passed through this lake in their canoes, this great fish was accustomed to come after those crossing the lake and if he overtook them he would swallow them up, canoe and all, like swallowing a little clam in the shell. So Ne-naw-bo-zhoo said to himself, "This great fish will eat up all my nephews. Now I must somehow dispose of him." So finally he went to the lake in his canoe expressly to look for the fish, singing daring songs as he went along. After he came in the midst of it, there he stopped, but kept on singing the following words; "Mishe-la-ne-gwe Pe-le-wi-ko-lishim, Pe-le-wi-ko-lishim" -- daring the fish to come and swallow him up. So at last the great fish, Mish-la-me-gwe, did come and swallow the great Ne-naw-bo-zhoo. But this was just what he wanted. After being swallowed, he was able to dispose of his big fish, for with his weapons he caused the great fish such pain that it became crazy. He started on full speed, but not knowing which way he was steering because he was now out of his senses, so he ran against the dry land, but as he was going so fast his whole body was on dry land and soon expired, after which Ne-naw-bo-zhoo came out like the prophet Jonah and he went home and sat down to smoke his pipe, perfectly satisfied that he had saved many people by disposing of the great fish."

			Home		Native