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MOUNTAIN APACHE":

 

    "...This myth is the basis of the Ant songs and ceremony. The name of the place of emergence, ha'tc'ono'ndai (coming up out of), is identical with that used for this tale. The place of emergence is vaguely somewhere north of the historic Western Apache territory..."

 

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Page 10 & 18 of Martha Warren Beckwith’s book, ‘MANDAN-HIDATSA MYTHS AND CEREMONIES’, carried the following Mandan ‘Indian’ legend:

 

    "The Mandan people originated at the mouth of this river (Missouri?) way down at the ocean. On the north side of the river was a high bank. At its foot on the shore of the ocean was a cavern -- that is where the Mandan people came out.

    "...The people were once living inside the earth. There the game was scarce, so they wanted to come up on the earth. And they found a hole into which a root hung, so four men climbed up to the surface of the earth. They killed lots of Buffalo, made jerked meat, took the paunch and dried it and carried it all down to where they came from. The rest were glad to see the dried meat and they all decided to come up. They caught hold of the root and climbed up hand over hand. After the four men and their sister and many others had already reached the surface, a woman heavy with child tried to climb up and broke the root, so no more could

get up..."

     (Note: According to differing legends, there are several reasons why the ‘Indians’ came up from the Subterranean World. Some tribes claim they were forced to the surface when the Underworld became flooded, still others made the emergence to escape a portion of their race who had turned to evil, others came up in search of food, which became scarce in their