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Cree stories are told in the storytelling oral format.  They use many descriptive and performance techniques to communicate Cree culture's connection to nature.  The following story explains Why Muskwa, Bear, Has a Short Tail.  This is a Thick Woods Cree teaching on being naïve as it follows Wesakeshahk on his travels.

Wesakechahk is the benevolent culture hero of the Cree tribe (sometimes referred to as a "transformer" by folklorists).  Wesakechahk is a trickster character whose adventures are often humorous.  His name is spelled many different ways partially because Cree was originally an unwritten language (so English speakers just spelled it however it sounded to them at the time) and partially because the Cree language is spoken across a huge geographical range in both Canada and the US.  The correct pronunciation in Plains Cree is similar to wee-sah-keh-chahk.  Wesakeshahk shares many similarities with other Algonquian heroes such as the Blackfoot Napi.

Why Muskwa, Bear, Has a Short Tail

And it is told among the Cree that in the long moon when-ravens-freeze-in-trees, Wesakechahk was walking through the Birch Mountains. [northeastern Alberta]

Wesakechahk, wolverine-paw-dreaming-man, had been walking all over those mountain forests, from way back, even before black mink was born. He was searching all over those green-black northern mountains for his lost brother, Black Wolf.

Ah-ah! It was Wesakeshahk coming! Hah! All those silver-throated river otters came out just to see him! Ha! It was really him coming. Wahwa! All those scarlet-dog-rose-persons raised their heads just to hear his golden aspen voice! Wa! He was comong this way! Tsss! Tsss! Tsss! All those purplish-black-crows followed him just to see his banded-raccoon-mask! Eh! It was him! Ho! He was laughing and dreaming across those tamarack valleys! Kani! It was he! Oooo! He was singing his blackish-chokecherry songs all over those gathering-places-of-snowshoe-rabbit, calling out:

"Ho! All you gray, grizzled Wolves! Ah-ah! Nisimi! My true brothers! Kani! Ah, you moose eaters! My relatives! Ha! You pack-running-persons! My uncles! Caribou-runners! Ha! Straight-tails! Deer-runner! My friends, have you seen my blood brother, Black Wolf?"

He was walking through that severe winter moon. The frost was very heavy and the north wind made the cold icy. The earth was buried in deep snow and all the animal-people were hungry.

Especially, Muskwa, Bear. He was so hungry he could not sleep.

Bear was walking beside the Athabasca River. *

Muskwa was pawing beside the frozen river.

There Bear met Fox.

Bear saw that Fox put his tail in the water where a tongue of river was unfrozen. Fox was catching fish with his tail-dipped-in-water.

"Ho! Bear! Uncle! Muskwa! You look hungry! You try this! All the fish in this river are coming up to this air-hole!"

Bear sat down on the frozen river. It was so cold that his thick robe was creaking.

"Fox, Brother! I see no fish," Bear observed.

"Aw, Bear! There is nothing but fish in this icy river! Hey! They'll come up! A fisherman waits, Bear. Fish move real slow in deep winter! Just dip your long tail in the deep water and wait right here. Wait!" Fox assured him. "I will be back later."

Bear sat on the icy river. He sat and sat. It grew colder and colder. It was so cold that the snow buntings froze in the sky.

Bear fell asleep.

His long tail was dangling in the freezing riverwater.

In the morning, Bear was awakened by ravens cawing.

He wanted to get up and stretch. He tried to stand up but his tail was stuck.

It had frozen into the river.

Bear tugged and tugged. But it had froze up real good.

Bear called for help.

But no one heard him in the howling, icy wind.

Finally, Wesakechahk, walking through, came to him.

"Ho! Bear! My brother! How is it you are sitting here freezing to death? Ah, Bear, you are lucky. It could only be Fox who set you here. He is on his way back to you. A helpless bear is easy to kill and eat. I will help you my brother," Wesakechahk said.

Wesakechahk pulled and pulled. But Bear's tail was frozen like a rock into the water. Bear had really frozen hard into that river.

Wesakeshahk pulled as hard as he could…

Suddenly, Bear's long tail snapped off –

That is why, Muskwa, Bear, has a short tail.

And so it is to this day.

*The Athabasca River flows into Lake Athabasca in northeastern Alberta.

Source:  “The Wisdom of the Cree of Canada : a Book of Healing for the Human Heart.” Find in a Library with WorldCat, The Alberta Foundation, 10 Mar. 2018, www.worldcat.org/title/wisdom-of-the-cree-of-canada-a-book-of-healing-for-the-human-heart/oclc/70655746. pg. 154.

Answer the questions on Wesakechahk : Why Muskwa, Bear, Has a Short Tail in your Learning Guide 4.8 Cree Legend.