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Red Tail and Windigo A few miles from Sandy Lake many years ago, a large number of Cree were living at a summer camp. Suddenly, everyone felt a change come into their minds and feelings. The people knew something horrible was approaching their camp - a Windigo. Everyone was terrified. For days the sky had been dark in the west and the Windigo could be he heard from a distance. All the medicine men in the village began to call on their powers to try and prevent a Windigo from destroying the camp and murdering the people. Shaking tents were set up, but the wind blew them to the ground before they could be used. Other magical rituals and ceremonies were implemented but they did not work; the Windigo was still coming. The medicine men were defeated. Then Red Tail, the village outcast, spoke to the medicine men. " Ma-mandowin-ninih. The only way you can save the village is to ask me to protect the people. You must give me offerings because I will need the strength to stop the beast." Everyone laughed at the humble man. He was unwanted; he had wife or no children; he was a joke of the village. How could this person hope to turn back the Windigo? The medicine men went on with their magic trying to prevent the Windigo from coming. But the Windigo kept moving relentlessly toward the village. When the Windigo was near the medicine were paralyzed with fear. In desperation they realized that Red Tail was their only chance for survival. All of the people came to the lodge of Red Tail which was on the edge of the camp and piled gifts and tobacco in front of his door. The sky was black and the wind was howling when Red Tail began his ritual. As he smoked his sacred pipe, three great noises came from the bowl. Outside thunder rolled and wind began tearing up the trees. Then Red Tail ran out to meet the formidable Windigo. Above the noise of the storm the people in the camp heard three shots. (There were no firearms in those days.) Then the wind stopped and the sun came out. The Indians lying around on the ground were revived from the attack of the Windigo. Soon everyone was back to normal and there was Red Tail coming out of the forest. " The monster is dead." Red Tail told the people. " It is lying below the falls of the river. There, you can see its hairy back sticking out of the water." All the people went to the falls to see the monster. There was no doubt that it was dead because it was floating lifelessly in the water. Then Red Tail told the rest of the camp. "Through the help of the spirits in my shaking tent, I will make the body of the Windigo disappear." The next day the people went back to the falls and the great body of the Windigo had vanished. From that day on, Red Tail was treated with the greatest respect among the people. He was given the most beautiful and favorite women in the camp for his wife and for the rest of his days he lived happily. The village outcast, Red Tail, had saved them all from the horrible Windigo. Sacred Legends of the Sandy Lake Cree Told by: Carl Ray and James Stevens |