The legend of Kuikuhâchâu Part 2
Told by Sandy Masty of Whapmagoostui
Translation & illustrations By Brian Webb

One day as Kuikuhâchâu ran, he came across a trail of people who had been traveling. He followed it and reached a campsite. There were two teepees, a small one and a large one. It was obvious that the large teepee had been feasting on caribou but the small teepee had nothing to show that they were eating. It seemed that the people who lived in the small teepee were hungry.

Kuikuhâchâu suspected that his brother was in the area. He looked at the large abandoned teepee with disgust. He commented, “Who is this person with plenty of food? He must be out of his mind not to share food with people who are obviously hungry.” Kuikuhâchâu was exasperated with the greedy ones.

Kuikuhâchâu continued to follow the trail. He reached the camp of the two teepees. The two teepees stood close to each other. He walked towards the small one and peaked in. Only his young nephews sat inside. They looked gaunt and underfed. The boys saw him and exclaimed, “Our uncle has arrived! We’ll be eating for sure.” Kuikuhâchâu remarked, “Eating? Eating what? I am hungry also. I have no food with me!”

Kuikuhâchâu said, “It seems your neighbour has plenty of food. But you guys are hungry!” The boys mumbled, “He doesn’t share any food with us.” Kuikuhâchâu thought of a plan and said, “Wait, I’ll get some food for you.”

He went over to the large teepee. In contrast to the small teepee, the children inside looked healthy and well fed. Plenty of caribou meat hung on racks all around inside the teepee. The children were left to watch over the teepee. Kuikuhâchâu entered and sat down.

He commented to the children, “You people have plenty of food.” He asked them, “Which part of the caribou does your father like best?” The children pointed to a particular meat rack with delicious looking meat lined with rich fat and the solidified caribou grease. “Your father’s food sure does look good.”

A large cooking pot also hung from the rack, it was filled with the rich warm broth of simmered caribou bones with the grease floating on top. Kuikuhâchâu took down the pot and began drinking the broth. The children protested, “That’s our father’s broth! Don’t touch that!” Kuikuhâchâu continued drinking the broth and the children came over to stop him. As the children were trying to grab the pot, Kuikuhâchâu spilled all the broth over them.

Kuikuhâchâu took the emptied pot and filled it with the father’s meat and also put the grease in the pot. The soaked children only watched. As Kuikuhâchâu was about to leave with the pot, the children jumped on him and tried to hang on to the pot. “Don’t touch that.” Kuikuhâchâu took each hand of the children and held their hands next to the fire. The children hands got burnt and they began crying. Kuikuhâchâu left and went back to the other teepee.

He took the pot to the other teepee and prepared a stew for his nephews. As the stew simmered, Kuikuhâchâu ran back to the other teepee to get some caribou blood to add to his stew to make it richer. The children in the other teepee only glared at him.

When the stew was done, the young boys ate until they were full. Kuikuhâchâu had some of his caribou stew also. After eating, Kuikuhâchâu and his nephews made themselves comfortable and relaxed.

Kuikuhâchâu asked, “Where are all the adults?” They answered, “Our parents went with our neighbours to a place where caribou had been seen. When the kill has been made, our parents only bring back the caribou lungs and livers. That’s the only part our neighbour shares with us.” Kuikuhâchâu remarked, “Your neighbour really has no sense at all.”

Kuikuhâchâu’s brother and his wife returned back to camp with caribou lungs and livers skewered on a stick. Kuikuhâchâu invited them to come and eat the stew he had made. As the hungry couple ate, Kuikuhâchâu mentioned, “Your neighbours are very selfish people.” Kuikuhâchâu stayed in his brother’s lodge, where he stretched out to relax and think.

The greedy neighbour and his wife arrived, each of them dragging back a caribou. The neighbour’s name was Minitû. He was a very successful hunter. He was a person who never went hungry. The caribou they brought back were big and fat.

Minitû’s children explained everything that had happened, saying a visitor had arrived and taken meat and also took the cooking pot. Minitû exclaimed, “That visitor must be out of his mind. He’ll be dead for sure since he has no manners.”

Kuikuhâchâu relaxed in the brother’s teepee. Since the two teepees were so close to each other, they could hear everything Minitû was saying. Kuikuhâchâu remained calm and said, “I’ll kill Minitû if he tries to kill me.” Minitû also heard Kuikuhâchâu’s words.

Minitû ordered his children to go fetch the cooking pot. Minitû’s children ran into the other teepee, “Our dad wants his cooking pot. He’s thirsty and wants to make some broth.” Kuikuhâchâu replied, “I’m still using it. I’ll return it when I’m finished with it.”

Kuikuhâchâu emptied the cooking pot and took it outside. From a distance, he tossed the cooking pot into Minitû’s teepee. Kuikuhâchâu called out, “Here’s the cooking pot.” The cooking pot hurled into Minitû’s lodge through the entrance and struck the hearth stones. Minitû was astounded at Kuikuhâchâu’s behaviour.

Minitû took the cooking pot and began making broth from the caribou blood. Minitû mentioned, “Since he has no manners, I’ll kill him.” They dragged in the caribou and proceeded to skin and butcher them. Minitû’s wife fleshed the caribou skin inside, near the entrance. Minitû’s wife was a strong and robust woman and was a good fighter. Minitû brought in his spear and hid it near his resting area.

The broth began to boil. Minitû’s children called out to Kuikuhâchâu, “Guest, you’re invited for a meal.” Kuikuhâchâu was very pleased and shouted back, “Yes, I’m coming.” But he knew very well what Minitû was planning. Kuikuhâchâu told his brother to stay behind.

Kuikuhâchâu entered Minitû’s teepee. Minitû sized him up and thought it would be easy for them to kill Kuikuhâchâu. Minitû thought, “You’re not leaving this teepee alive.” Minitû acted very happy to have Kuikuhâchâu as his guest. “Come sit with me.” Kuikuhâchâu sat down with Minitû at the back of the teepee, which is a place of honour.

Minitû explained, “We haven’t cooked the meat yet. My children told me that you’ve arrived. I was eager to see you. We’ve only made broth so far. Take a drink of the delicious broth and you’ll take home the fresh meat here.” Kuikuhâchâu was delighted, “You sure are generous.”

Kuikuhâchâu took his time to observe the teepee, looking up at the smoke hole and watching Minitû’s wife fleshing the caribou skin near the entrance. He knew that Minitû’s wife was ready to kill him if he wanted to escape through the entrance. He noticed a large gap between the poles up at the smoke hole. Minitû insisted, “Drink the broth. We made it for you but we don’t have a ladle for you.”

Kuikuhâchâu took the pot of hot broth and put it on his knees and tilted the pot to his mouth to drink. Kuikuhâchâu took a sip of the very hot broth. Minitû continued talking as he cunningly reached for his spear but Kuikuhâchâu knew what he was going to do.

Minitû suddenly grabbed his spear to attack Kuikuhâchâu. But Kuikuhâchâu splashed him with the hot broth. Minitû’s wife and children were also scalded. Kuikuhâchâu grabbed the meat he was promised and jumped up onto the rack poles above the fire and made his way out through the smoke hole with the caribou meat in hand. Kuikuhâchâu landed outside safely with the caribou meat.

Everyone inside was screaming with agony. “Our guest burnt us!” Kuikuhâchâu talked back, “I was only defending myself. I knew what you were up to.” Minitû insisted, “No! You’re wrong. Come back inside for your caribou meat.” Kuikuhâchâu answered, “No. You want to kill me. Eat the caribou meat yourself.” Kuikuhâchâu returned to his brother’s teepee.

Minitû had an older son who scouted for caribou. The next morning, Minitû ordered him to look around for caribou. Minitû’s son found fresh tracks of a large herd of caribou. He returned home and told his father. Minitû called out to Kuikuhâchâu, “Fresh tracks have been found. We want you to come. We’ll leave during the night and make the kill in the morning.” Kuikuhâchâu agreed.

As night fell, Minitû called out to Kuikuhâchâu, “Guest, we’re ready to leave.” Kuikuhâchâu told his brother to stay behind. Kuikuhâchâu knew that Minitû would not give up trying to kill him. The caribou hunters left. The moon shone bright.

Minitû told Kuikuhâchâu to lead the way so they could chat as they walked. As they walked, Minitû told stories. Kuikuhâchâu kept his eye on Minitû’s shadow. Minitû carried his spear resting on his shoulder.

Kuikuhâchâu noticed that Minitû was taking his spear as they walked. Minitû pointed his spear towards Kuikuhâchâu’s back. Kuikuhâchâu knew that Minitû was getting ready to stab him. Minitû thrust forward with his spear in hand. Kuikuhâchâu jumped out of the way and the spear plunged into the snow where Kuikuhâchâu had been. Minitû toppled over and broke his spear.

Minitû exclaimed, “Oops, I stumbled and I think I almost killed you!” “You wanted to kill me purposely,” Kuikuhâchâu responded. “I know because I was watching your shadow.”

Minitû insisted that he had tripped. Minitû told Kuikuhâchâu to lead the way again. But Kuikuhâchâu had no trust in Minitû anymore. Kuikuhâchâu refused to lead the way. The two hunters left again with Minitû leading the way this time.

The caribou hunters reached the area where the caribou had been tracked. Minitû’s eldest son was already there. Minitû told his son about the accident that almost happened.

Minitû had many caribou snares with him. The hunters set up the caribou snares. After the snares were set, the hunters flushed the caribou towards the snares. As the caribou got caught, the hunters stabbed them with their spears. Since all the snares belonged to Minitû, all the caribou that were killed were Minitû’s. Minitû’s wife arrived to help butcher and drag the caribou back home.

Kuikuhâchâu headed straight for the first snare. The first snare was called the nîshtâmuhchâuwâyâpî. The first snare always had the best caribou caught in it. Kuikuhâchâu began butchering that particular caribou. He worked quickly. Kuikuhâchâu now had the idea of killing Minitû.

Minitû saw Kuikuhâchâu butchering the caribou from the first snare. But that would have been Minitû’s best caribou. Minitû told his son to ask Kuikuhâchâu if that was the caribou he wanted to butcher. Minitû’s son went over and asked him. Kuikuhâchâu answered, “I would not be butchering it if I didn’t want it.”

Minitû told his son to fetch the caribou snare from Kuikuhâchâu and to be sure not to get it bloody. Minitû’s son went over to Kuikuhâchâu again and asked for the caribou snare, “My father says not to get it bloody.” Kuikuhâchâu’s hands were already soaked in blood from butchering the caribou. Kuikuhâchâu took the caribou snare and coiled it up with the bloody hands. Minitû’s son was astounded. After coiling the caribou snare, Kuikuhâchâu drenched it into the caribou blood and threw it over to Minitû’s son and said, “Here you go.”

Kuikuhâchâu finished butchering his caribou and got ready to leave, dragging the caribou back to the camp. Minitû still had many caribou to butcher. Minitû saw Kuikuhâchâu and told him, “Pack down the trail for us to head back to camp. We’ll follow your trail when we’re ready to go back in the evening.” Kuikuhâchâu nodded.

Kuikuhâchâu broke a new trail back to the camp. As he walked, he searched around for two good places to attack Minitû and his wife. When he returned back to the camp with his caribou, he told his brother to finish cleaning the caribou and to prepare a good meal for themselves. Kuikuhâchâu went back on the trail with his bow and arrows.

Kuikuhâchâu hid from the trail on a small hill which he had walked over. He saw Minitû coming, walking the same trail dragging a butchered caribou wrapped in the skin. As Minitû walked on the trail, he paused and said to himself, “What a strange feeling I have. I feel like there are arrows going into me.” Kuikuhâchâu whispered to himself, “Of course you are. I’m about to shoot you with my arrows.”

Minitû was dressed in a metallic covering, just like armor. Only his armpits were exposed. Minitû began dragging his caribou again. As he lifted the strap, Kuikuhâchâu shot his arrow into Minitû’s chest, through the armpit. The arrow went straight into Minitû’s heart. Kuikuhâchâu continued shooting his arrows at Minitû. Finally, Minitû was dead.

Kuikuhâchâu went further up the trail to wait for Minitû’s wife. She was far behind on the trail. Kuikuhâchâu hid on a small hill again away from the trail. Finally, he saw Minitû’s wife coming on the trail dragging a butchered caribou.

As Minitû’s wife walked up the small hill, she paused for a moment. She sensed something was going to happen. When she continued walking she lifted her strap and exposed her armpits. Kuikuhâchâu shot his arrow into the woman’s heart but she didn’t die. In her agonizing rage, she tore down trees and came towards Kuikuhâchâu. He kept shooting arrows at her. Finally, Kuikuhâchâu took his last arrow which he had put a spell on and shot it at Minitû Woman. Finally, she died. Kuikuhâchâu returned home.

Kuikuhâchâu told his brother that Minitû and his wife were dead. Minitû’s children were still in their lodge. His brother was willing to adopt Minitû’s children. But Kuikuhâchâu did not accept it. He explained that the children would be exactly the same as their father. Kuikuhâchâu killed Minitû’s entire family. This was how the legend was told. Kuikuhâchâu had vanquished two foes, Wâniyûyâu and Minitû.