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 jojason26@h...
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Posted: 12/1/2002; 10:36:34 PM 
The Indian culture of Mayo is full of songs, stories and legends. A well known legend in Mayo is that of the Bushmen. Bushmen are seldom seen but they have been encountered by people within recent memory. The Bushmen can be found on the east side of the Stewart River and have been said to have rained arrows and spears on the campers at Fraser Falls. They however leave no tracks.
One legend concerning the moon is told by Mayo elder Mary Hager and repeated by her granddaughter, Nancy Sinnott for the writers of the Gold & Galena. This legend goes as follows; An old women raised one grandson. He wore an outfit made of two marten skins. The grandson was very special. The people were hungry. The grandson told the people that they would soon kill caribou. In a dream he saw the place where the caribou were. He told the people he would tell them where they would kill caribou but they must save one fat caribou for his grandmother.
The people agreed to kill many caribou. After the hunt the grandson's uncle told the people to ignore the grandson's request and they gave the grandmother a caribou arm with no meat on it. When the grandson saw this he cried and cried-upset that the people did not listen.
He told his grandmother to put the caribou arm in white skin after cooking it and the next morning there was meat on the caribou arm. Then he said, "I will be leaving you soon grandmother". When they went to bed the grandmother clung tightly to her little grandson but he disappeared. He told his grandmother, "You will see me again in the moon when it is full and bright as the sun, and when the people see me they will fall down as if they were hungry or carrying a heavy pack and they will be reminded of their selfishness. When they get up everything will be fine again".
Some people from the MAyo Band have seen this and believe it still. -Gold & Galena- Nancy Sinnott
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