Week 11 Reading: Blackfoot Unit, Part A

 These notes are based off The Camp of the Ghosts which is a Blackfoot tale found in Blackfeet Indian Stories by George Bird Grinnell (1915) 

• Again, I'm being inspired by "spooky" tales for my portfolio
• This story really isn't scary, it's actually kind of nice
• I wouldn't try to make this one scary, instead I would make it more heartwarming
• The man travels into the land of the dead to bring back his wife
• The ghosts are pretty nice and helpful to the man, which I would keep!
• The strange happening would be about the woman dying and amazingly coming back to life! I be the community would have a lot to say about that!
• I would change the ending of this story!
• I want the man and the woman to live happily ever after (she disappears) 
• This story is a bit long, so I'll be summing up a lot of what happens. I usually take more detailed notes about the plot)
• Okay, so man and wife are married. They love each other very much and have a son together. 
• For my story, I could include a cute little moment about them, a backstory
• The woman gets sick and dies
• The man is filled with grief 
• He wonders around with their baby, crying and trying to figure out a plan
• He leaves the baby with the grandmother and goes off on a journey. He doesn't exactly know what he's doing or why. He's traveling aimlessly
• He goes toward the Sand Hills (real place?)
• There he dreams of an old woman. He tells her the situation, and gives him some advice. She tells him to find another old woman that will help him
• To make the story shorter, I would skip this part, make it a bit easier/faster getting to the land of the ghosts
• Again, he must fall asleep in order to talk to the woman ( happens in a dream)
• The woman wants to help him on his journey (to get his wife back) and gives him a list of rules and tips to follow
• Some of the rules:
Then you would never come back. When you come to the camp, you will pass by a big lodge and they will ask you, 'Where are you going and who told you to come here?' You must answer, 'My grandmother, who is standing out here with me, told me to come.' They will try to scare you; they will make fearful noises and you will see strange and terrible things, but do not be afraid."
• One thing I could add: descriptions of the "strange and terrible things". That would be a good chance for me to add some flare and dramatics to the story!
• So, the mans relations (dead relatives) show up and he starts his journey (for real this time!) 
• They go to the ghost camp. Again, there aren't too many great descriptions of this place or what happens here
• But, he remembers the rules that he old woman told him and doesn't look or get scared
• He ends up at a ghost lodge and tells the owner (ghost owner) about his wife
• He must stay there for 4 days
• A the lodge, the ghost man hosts a fest for the man's ghost relatives
• The ghosts are moved by the story of the man mourning for the wife and decide to help him
• After the 4 days, the ghosts tell him that he will journey back with his wife. He will also received the Worm Pipe
• They have more guidelines to follow about leaving the ghost world (sweat lodge). He also warns the man not to wipe/strike the wife after they return to the living world, otherwise, she will disappear 
• When they make it back to the camp (the wife turns back alive!), they make sure to follow the rules of the sweat-house. Clean clean themselves of the ghost world (kinda)
• The people now possess the Worm Pipe (culturally significant?)
• HOWEVER. the man goes to strike the woman, and AFTER ALL THE TROUBLE she vanishes
• I would definity change the ending
• Either they stay together OR the man disappears instead lol 

Image Information: 

The Sandhills of Nebraska 

Found on: Wikipedia