Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde; Grand Ronde, OR
About Weekly Chemawa American. (Chemawa, Or.) 189?-198? | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 1901)
8 CHEMAWA AMERICAN. Legend of The Harias Des Cygne. Note About the year 17C8, Evangeline Bellefontaine Longfellow's Evangeline came up from the Acadian settlements in Louisiana looking among the French trap pers and Indians for Gabrial Lajeunesse, her lover, who had been so ruthlessly torn from her as related by Longfellow, and as Evangeline crossed the Ozark mountains and visited the Indian villages she met the Osages, from whom she heard the pretty Indian legend of the swans, and it was she who gave to the river the pretty French name "Le Marais des Cygne?." The Riv er,of the swans. Many years ago an Indian chief and his tribe occupied a scenic spot near the banks of a river. The chief of the tribe, Maako ta, had an only daughter who was named Anonie. She was very beautiful and had many opportunities of marriage, yet for the love of freedom she kindly but' firmly refused all. Each young brave of the tribe worshipped Nanonie and endeavored to win her affections, but in turn each one received the same refusal, yet so kindly as to add fuel to the fire of love within their hearts. But for Nanonie this kind of life was soon to cease, One bright day in the early autumn there came to this Indian villiage a chief from the Chyenne country and asked per mission to erect his lodge on the border of the village. His request was granted and he took up his abode among them. Why he came there was never asked or never known for an Indian rarely speaks of his past life. The new brave provtd to be a good natured fellow and extremely found of sport and from the beginning was a great favorite with the young men, accom panying them on their hunts ttud joining with them in their games so soon won their admiration. ' But the new brave was also winning the admiration of Nanonie and was afiequent visitor at his father's lodge. Winter pas sed and springtime found their wooing porgressed to such an extent that they fre quently seen strolling along the banks of the beautiful river and was well under stood that at no distant date their nuptials would be celebrated and Nanonie's rather seemed well pleased. . One day Danookee (for that was the name of Nanonie's lover chief) . started on a hunt promising to return on the third day. Days, weeks months passed in lonely expectation to Nanonie. Summer came but Danookee came not, Worry and anxiety were plainly marked on Nanonie's countenance. She grew pale and strange ly silent and with heavy tread and heavi erheart she daily visited the spot where she had parted from her loyer on the banks ot the river. Autumn and winter came and went the beautiful springtime followed and Nanonie spent many hours on the river's bank quietly, patienly and faithfuly awaitfng the return of her lover, Danookee. No trace of him could be found beyond the the water's edge though many were the searching parties sent out from the village. But Nanonie could not donbt that he would some day return, yet not one little ray of hope ever appeared to lift the burden of. anxiety from her mind and each night as she returned to her father's lodge, it was with a slower tread and more sorrowful heart. One night when she had been sitting in her father's lodge for a long time in brood ing silence, she suddenly sprang to her feet and rushed to the river crying in agonizing accents, "Danookee!" Danookee!" The tribe thus alarmed rushed alter her with torches. Reaching the river bank they beheld sinking beueath the surface of the water, the form of beautiful Nanonie. Young braves plunged in to rescue hen but she rose nomoreaud beneath the water they found no trace of her. Regaining the shore, all stood gazing upon the spot where Nanonie had disap peared. Suddenly a light shone over the stream and there rose to the surface of the water two beautiful swans. A moment they remained motionless then spreading their wings they soared away, disappear ing in the upper darkness. . "'Tis the spirits of Danonkee and Nanonie," quoth they, "flying to the happy hunting grounds ," and with a feeing of awe they returned to their lodges henceforth to tell the story of "the river of swans. Sel,