Traditions of the Arikara

"Traditions of the Arikara" by George A. Dorsey is a collection of ethnographic accounts documenting the mythology and ceremonies of the Arikara people, likely written in the early 20th century. The work focuses on the stories and traditions that shape the Arikara identity, detailing their creation myths, cultural practices, and beliefs. It provides insight into the oral histories of the Arikara as they relate to their ancestors and the natural world. At the start of the text, Dorsey introduces the Arikara and outlines the origins of their traditions, with an emphasis on their connection to the earth and various animals. He describes several creation stories, including how the Wolf and Lucky-Man created the land and how the Spiders gave birth to people, interspersed with discussions of important cultural figures like Mother-Corn. The opening establishes a framework for the following tales, which explore themes of transformation, survival, and the relationships between people, animals, and the spiritual world, setting the stage for an exploration of the Arikara's rich cultural heritage. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

George Amos Dorsey was an American ethnographer of indigenous peoples of the Americas, with a special focus on the Caddoan and Siouan tribes of the Great Plains. He is credited with helping develop the anthropology of the Plains Indian tribes while serving as curator at the Field Museum in Chicago from 1898 until 1915. During this period, he also was Professor of Anthropology at the University of Chicago from 1907 to 1915.