Nunnehi

Fae

Overview: Spirits in Flesh

The Nunnehi are the faerie spirits of the Native Americans. Not only are they the embodiments of the myths, legends, dreams, and possibilities of the native tribes of North America, they also spring from the vision quests and spirit workings integral to those cultures. The word Nunnehi means "people who live anywhere," and they inhabit remote wilderness areas as well as living on the fringes of human society, often combining nomadic and settled cultures. Their townships and enclaves serve as bases for groups of wandering hunters and warriors, who act as guardians against the encroachment of outsiders, including European changelings. Like the mortals whose dreams they personify, the Nunnehi share a reverence for and understanding of the natural world of rocks, plants, and animals. In some ways they serve as a spirit link between nature and their chosen tribes.

Long before the coming of the Kithain, the Nunnehi Nations lived in harmony with the Native American tribes. Though somewhat varied due to differences in concepts and beliefs, many Nunnehi had traits in common. Many were invisible or could become so; some could change size from a few inches tall to gigantic. Almost all were believed to grant favors or bestow curses. Closely tied to both the natural world and the world of the spirits, some served as go-betweens for communications with higher beings or the spirits of the dead. Tribes left gifts to placate their spirit brethren, asked them for guidance, and feared their retribution should anyone insult or anger them. In return, the Nunnehi Nations watched over their "flesh brothers," lending their assistance when needed and teaching tribal dreamers healing and growing magics.

Nunnehi are very different from their European cousins. They do not gather Glamour, but "harvest Medicine." They evince different types than the European faeries as well, having no boggans, sluagh, sidhe, or redcaps. Instead, they are water babies or invisible people depending on which region and tribe they descend from. They refer to these types as Families rather than kith. Nor do Nunnehi refer to themselves as the Kithain. They are the Nunnehi Nations. Indeed, they hardly seem to grasp the concept of being singular, instead referring to a single Nunnehi as "one" to show that the Nunnehi in question is "one of the principal people (of the Nunnehi Nations)." In this, they are much like their flesh brothers, who see themselves as part of and in relationship to the tribe before being individuals. Sadly, they also resemble the tribes in their dislocation from many of their former territories and in their declining numbers.

Those who were left behind when the doorways closed to Arcadia and the Higher Hunting Grounds (the Nunnehi Dreaming) became changelings. The European faeries underwent a changing ritual that shielded them from Banality; the native faeries found highly spiritual people who agreed to act as hosts for the Nunnehi's spirits. The first Nunnehi-human hybrids shared the bodies, with the Nunnehi spirit remaining quiescent within until the host either fathered or became the mother of a child. The Nunnehi spirit then entered the child before birth, fusing its faerie spirit to the child's flesh. Those who had hosted Nunnehi spirits within themselves often became counselors, medicine men and wise women in their tribes due to the insights granted them by their faerie brethren. Nunnehi have most often chosen to re-manifest within the descendants of those they originally inhabited, though any member of the Nunnehi's chosen tribe might be so honored. This has proven to be both a blessing and a curse, keeping the Nunnehi strong and allied with their tribes, while creating grave problems for those whose tribes have become extinct. Relation to the Dreaming

The major difference between Nunnehi and other changelings lies in their relationship to the Dreaming. Unlike other changelings, who are merely exiled from Arcadia and who can still occasionally touch the Dreaming, Nunnehi have lost their connection to their homeland (called the Higher Hunting Grounds) in the Dreaming. There is speculation that this may stem from the actual destruction of the Higher Hunting Grounds due to the loss of so many native tribes and the erosion of their beliefs. To compensate, Nunnehi have gained the ability to draw Glamour (which they call Medicine) directly from the natural world, and are also able to enter the spirit world under certain conditions.

The Nunnehi still mourn their loss of the Dreaming and commemorate it through their love for and skill in song, dance, story and artistic endeavors. Ironically, most Nunnehi tend to be extremely creative in at least one of these areas, thus making them sources of Glamour for other changelings.

Relations: History

The story of the Nunnehi is one of coping with a series of invasions. In each region, certain areas were set aside as homelands or territories for the Nunnehi. These were usually thought to be places of power and great natural beauty such as waterfalls, strange rock formations, stands of woods, particular coves along the shoreline, caves, great trees, or islands found in mid-river or emerging from a dismal swamp. In some cases, this brought them into competition with Garou, who claimed caerns in many of the same regions. For the most part, though, the two groups cooperated rather than competing, and the Croatan, Uktena and Wendigo found natural allies among the Nunnehi. To this day, it is far more likely to find the Native American Garou and the Nunnehi allied than at odds with one another. This is not true with regard to those Garou who are called "the latecomers" — the Fianna, Get of Fenris, Silver Fangs, and others.

The First Wave

More intrusive and more dangerous to the native faeries were those of their own kind. Many Nunnehi were originally friendly to those who fled to North America to escape Banality. Those noble sidhe and their households often came as supplicants searching for new lands to shelter them. The Nunnehi frequently welcomed their foreign cousins and taught them how to live in the new environment. Treaties were signed and friendship gifts exchanged.

Soon, however, greater numbers came across the sea, and these settled wherever they pleased with little regard for the native faeries' feelings. Like their human counterparts who would later arrive in the New World, the European faeries arrogantly assumed that their culture and ways were superior and more civilized. Without understanding that the traditions and customs of the Nunnehi were at least as old, if not older, than their own, the immigrants dismissed the rich culture and society of the "backward savages." Some even took Nunnehi as captives and thralls to "teach" them European values and how to be "civilized." Relations between the Kithain and the Nunnehi Nations deteriorated wherever the newcomers took no thought for the feelings and rights of the native faeries. The Nunnehi fought back against the usurpers who took their lands, banding together into war parties to attack European freeholds and travelers. Though most of the older settlements where the Kithain were friendly to the Nunnehi were safe from such attack, some hotheads among the Nations made war upon any non-natives.

The European Settlement

With the coming ofhuman European settlers, many of the commoners also arrived. These too encroached upon the Nunnehi just as the humans did. Though the alien faeries appreciated the beauty of their new surroundings, they could not glean Glamour from it as could the Nunnehi. Unwittingly, the settlers felled stands of ancient trees and plowed over fields where Nunnehi had once danced and harvested Medicine. Warfare also took its toll among the Nunnehi. Tribe fought tribe as they were pushed into one another's territories and forced into competition for resources. Many natives supported European powers rather than the American settlers in the War for Independence, hoping that the powers would give back their lands in return for their help. When the war was lost, these were stripped of their remaining territories, and many were forced into slavery or sent far away. The Nunnehi fought alongside their flesh brothers and shared their fate.

Over time, the Europeans uprooted the native tribes, either decimating them with diseases they had no protection against or displacing them from their hunting grounds and homelands. Many Nunnehi who had formerly been peaceful responded with anger and enmity, waging war against the European changelings and their human kin. Others withdrew deeper into the forests, or disappeared from the knowledge of their foreign cousins. Some accompanied their displaced flesh brothers to exile in their new homes. Those whose people were displaced and who either would not or could not follow their human kin have either died out or withdrawn so deeply into the spirit world that they are no longer seen on Earth. A very few of these remain in hidden enclaves, but they are ancient now and malevolent toward all. These have wholly given themselves over to their Winter natures and wait only for their eventual deaths. It is unknown whether these Nunnehi's spirits can inhabit the bodies of other tribal people, or if their passing will mark the end of their immortal faerie souls. These are the most dangerous Nunnehi — especially to non-natives — because they have nothing more to lose.

While less deliberately malevolent, other Nunnehi continue to attack and fight the usurpers. It isn't hard to understand their resentment and hatred for the aliens who took their land, ripped away their Glamour, decimated their tribal brethren and almost destroyed them. Their once-free glens, which served them as dancing circles, tribal meeting places and encampments, have been made over into freeholds by the Europeans. Many Nunnehi were nomadic, moving according to the seasons or availability of game. The concept of a fixed place, of remaining in one abode, is foreign to them still. Much less do they understand reservations or why their people are confined to such poor areas with so little to sustain them.

For the last hundred years, the Nunnehi have been in decline as their tribes lost most ot their population, shunned their old beliefs and turned away from their ancient traditions. Only in the last few decades has there been a resurgence of Native American pride and a renewal of interest in the old ways. With it has come the rebirth of Nunnehi who were thought to have been lost forever as their stories faded from memory and the birth of new Nunnehi from the visions, dreams and beliefs of modern tribal people. From this renaissance of belief has arisen new hope that the Nunnehi are no longer a dead and dying people, but one that has endured their long Winter and now is emerging again into Spring. The Return of the Sidhe

Into the volatile mix precipitated by Kithain dominance and Nunnehi desperation has now been thrown the return of the noble sidhe. Their coming and reclamation of lands they considered to be their fiefs not only sparked the Accordance War, but acted as a call to arms for Nunnehi as well. Some Nunnehi were again displaced by this influx of non-natives, who once again assumed their own superiority. Many of these fought alongside the commoners, believing that once they triumphed, the common Kithain must recognize their rights. Others merely stood aside, feeling that it was none of their concern if commoner slew noble, so long as all involved were not Nunnehi. A third group allied with the nobles, remembering a time when some nobles had sworn treaties and bonds of friendship with them. These fared best, and some Nunnehi Nations today enjoy treaties and guarantees of their rights sworn to by noble friends who have claimed fiefdoms partly won through Nunnehi support.

Naturally, nothing is without price. The conflicting loyalties engendered by the Accordance Wars have caused old enmities among various tribes ofNunnehi to erupt. Most tribes refuse to engage in warfare against their own kind, but those whose tribes were enemies or competitors again spoil for battle to prove themselves better. The new emphasis on pride among Native Americans has had a heady effect upon the Nations. Where they all might once have been content to ally in the face of certain eventual destruction, the renewal of native culture has made them proud and unwilling to forgive old wrongs. Nunnehi from competing tribes might forswear fighting among themselves long enough to battle non-natives, but they seldom choose to ally for longer periods or even go their separate, peaceful ways. If no fight ensues between the momentary allies, they back away from confrontation, with each expecting treachery from the other until miles are put between them. Thus, even as the Nunnehi again become strong, they weaken themselves from within by intertribal bickering. Tribes

All Nunnehi belong to a tribe. Differences in Nunnehi can be attributed to the variant dreams and expectations among the Native American tribes. For this reason, it is difficult for Nunnehi to be born into non-natives or those who are not members of their tribe. Doing so almost guarantees that they will not remember who and what they are until they become elders and reach the perspective and wisdom that age brings.

For the most part, many tribes from the same region have similar backgrounds, such as the buffalo hunters of the Great Plains. To that extent, Nunnehi may be associated with particular areas, being identified, for example, as Southwestern or Northeastern. Within those regions, however, the individual tribes shape the form, dress, practices and customs that the Nunnehi Nations follow. Nunnehi are never born into tribes who once were or are still considered rivals or enemies to their own.

Regardless of their geographic placement, each still-flourishing or revitalized culture has a special relationship with its Nunnehi. While modern tribal members may not believe that Nunnehi move among them, many do believe in nature spirits to whom they appeal for help and strength. Many also believe that certain children are born who evince talents or spiritual affinities that mark them as "special." Nunnehi often serve as tribal storytellers, lorekeepers, artists, crafters and dancers. Some become advisors or even chiefs.

It is not possible to examine each tribe in detail, but this general overview can be used as a springboard for further investigation into the Native American tribes from whom the Nunnehi take their shapes. Virtually all the native cultures depicted here are confined to reservations today. In most cases, the Nunnehi are a blend of ancient practices and modern sensibilities. Because they often depend upon both their ties to the natural and spirit worlds and on old traditions for their existence, however, Nunnehi tend to be more anachronistic than other changelings, clinging to old ways rather than embracing modern tools and ways of life. Therefore, the descriptions given below of the clothing, customs, skills and practices of the various tribes is still fairly accurate when applied to the practices of modern Nunnehi.

The Northeast

Trappers, hunters and fishers, the natives of the Northeastern woodlands found that they had many things in common. Alliances and confederations were commonplace, with the Iroquois and Abnaki Confederations pointing the way. Those Nunnehi who were associated with these tribes also considered (and still consider) themselves to be allies of their respective Nunnehi Nations, and may sometimes lend aid to the flesh brothers of allied tribes. Anyone who makes an enemy of one of the allied Nunnehi makes an enemy of all their allies as well. Interestingly, those from the Iroquois Confederation and those of the Abnaki were traditional enemies. The Confederacy of the Iroquois

Before the coming of the Europeans, a holy man's vision led to the creation of the Confederacy of the Iroquois, five Nations bound together by shared language, custom and law. The Iroquois, who lived in what became New York state, divided their land into five strips, democratic republics governed by an elected council. Chiefs were elected from candidates proposed by the matrons of the tribes, and had to act only with the consent of all the women of childbearing age. The Iroquois Nations were controlled by the women, both because they reckoned kin relations through the matrilineal line, and because women were responsible for most of the work done in the community, from childrearing to planting and harvesting. The men were often away hunting for long periods of time.

Made up of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca, the League of Five Nations became Six Nations when they allied with the Tuscarora. All speeches and diplomatic dealings were accompanied by a gift of wampum, beads made from whelk shells. This was done to show that what was said was both important and true. The Iroquois became the most powerful native tribes in the Northeast, allying with the European invaders and thus saving their lands and culture until after the Revolutionary War when most of them sided with the British. They warred chiefly with their rivals in the fur trade, the Hurons, Eries and Illinois and the Algonquin speakers of the Abnaki Confederation.

One of the most breathtaking sites in Iroquois land is Taughannock Falls, which plummets over 215 feet into Cayuga Lake and serves as a place of power for those few Cayugan Nunnehi who are left. They wait in vain for the return of their people, who now live on a reservation in northeastern Oklahoma. Of the six tribes, only the Seneca and Mohawk still maintain any large presence in the area, with the Mohawk taking on the modern role of steelworkers high atop the skyscrapers of Manhattan.

The Abnaki Confederation

Covering areas from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to Maine, the Abnaki Confederacy encompassed the Abnaki, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot tribes. All were Algonquin speakers and held alliances with the French. Expert at canoeing, fishing and trapping, the Abnaki allies lived in conical wigwams covered with birch bark. Unlike their Iroquois rivals, they reckoned kinship from the patrilinear line. The Abnaki allies popularized the idea of using the Calumet Ceremony (or peace pipe) as a ceremonial means to stopping wars, mediating disagreements and establishing peace. Many among these tribes wore beaver skins, softening and curing the hides for later trade with the French. The Maliseet were noted for their singing, dancing and elaborate feasts, while the Penobscot found fame with their intricate bead- and quillwork, and had a reputation for peacefulness and hospitality. Most now live on reservations in Maine.

Other tribes of the area included the Micmac, Pequod, Susquehanna, Powhatan, and Delaware. Southeast

The earliest tribes to inhabit the Southeastern woodlands were mound-builders; hunter-gatherers who eventually turned to agriculture and built a rich and intricate civilization. The migration of Mississippian tribes into the region resulted in their disappearance or assimilation by the newcomers, who would become known as the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Creek. The Seminoles, an offshoot of the Creek, eventually traveled to the Florida peninsula.

The tribes that settled in the forests and valleys of the Southeast were farmers and hunters, living in summer and winter towns and enjoying a complex form of government revolving around a chief and a town council. Decisions were made by consensus, and both warriors and elders (known as beloved men and women) had a voice in the council. Summer houses tended to be rectangular and large, while winter houses were round and heavily insulated, with only a single small entrance to conserve heat.

Societal structure was both matrilineal and matrilocal, and women played an important role in the life of the tribe. They owned property, oversaw the raising of children, and occasionally accompanied their warriors into battle as chroniclers, often singing songs to inspire bravery in combat. Intertribal warfare was common among these tribes, usually for the purpose of taking slaves or war captives to assert their status. In times of peace, warriors spent much of their time preparing for and participating in ball games, which assumed ritual significance for the tribes.

The Cherokee inhabited parts of the Carolinas, Tennessee and Georgia. The Choctaw resided in southern Mississippi and parts of Alabama and Louisiana, while the Chickasaw claimed northern Mississippi as their home. The Creeks made their home in southern Georgia and Alabama.

The Seminole adapted themselves to their semi-tropical environment, building stilt-houses, called chickees, with palmetto leaf roofs and sides that were open to the air except at night, when canopies were lowered to keep out the insects.

The Five Civilized Tribes

The Europeans who settled the Southeastern woodlands after the 17th century referred to the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole as the "five civilized tribes," so called because of their original friendliness to the white invaders and their willingness to adopt the customs of the new arrivals. The Southeastern tribes learned the European method of agriculture, adapted their clothing and hairstyles to reflect the dress of the white settlers, and in many cases, even converted to the religion of the Europeans. Determined to prove that they could coexist with the newcomers in harmony, they entered into treaties and alliances which they thought would guarantee the sanctity of their homelands.

The Europeans, however, coveted the fertile lands of the Southeastern tribes, and sought every opportunity to acquire the natives' territories for themselves. Many of the Southeastern peoples sided with the British during the Revolutionary War and lost their lands when the British were defeated. Some tribes were pressured into abandoning their lands, traveling west across the Mississippi. Others attempted to remain, hoping for recognition by the Great Father in Washington (whoever he happened to be) as citizens. In 1827, using the alphabet invented by Sequoyah, the Cherokee adopted a constitution and declared themselves a nation, hoping thereby to establish relations with the government of the former American colonies. Their hopes came to nothing when, in 1838, by presidential fiat, Andrew Jackson enforced the Indian Removal Act, rounding up and relocating the Cherokee and the remaining Southeastern tribes to a reservation in Oklahoma, where they now reside. This forced march, known as the Trail of Tears, resulted in the deaths of nearly a quarter of the exiles.

Some members of the Southeastern tribes managed to escape forced removal. A small portion of the Cherokee hid in the mountains of North Carolina, eventually winning the right to remain in that area. These form the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation and live on the Qualla Boundary Reservation near the North Carolina/Tennessee border. Many Seminoles retreated into the Everglades and waged guerrilla warfare on the U.S. troops determined to evict them from their land. Even when the Seminole surrendered, a few diehards were permitted to remain on a reservation in Florida. The rest followed their Southeastern cousins to Oklahoma.

Other southeastern tribes include the Natchez, Catawba, Yuchi, Clusa, Caddo, and the Tunica-Biloxi.

Midwest

The tribes of the Midwest comprise those from the western Great Lakes regions stretching northward into Canada and those who formed the greater part of Plains Indian culture. The Plains tribes are the nomadic native people who lived in tipis, hunted the buffalo, adapted their culture when they acquired the horse and fought fiercely for their land against the Western settlers and the Army. These natives are what most people envision when they think of "Indians."

The Northern Tribes

These tribes were forest people like their neighbors to the east. They were the Cree, Ojibwa, Winnebago and Blackfoot. The Cree lived mostly in Canada, but migrations in the 17th century scattered them from Quebec to the Rockies. They also came into conflict with their Sioux and Blackfeet neighbors as their territories shifted. Hunting, fishing and trapping comprised most of their work. They now live in North Dakota. The Ojibwa are more usually known as the Chippewa (a misnomer). Their meetings with the French changed them from the tiny, self-governing villages to tribal organization that included the Grand Medicine society. Living mainly in Minnesota, they were allied with the French, and traded beaver and pelts for firearms, which they used to drive their enemies, the Sioux, to the west. They were able to maintain many of their cultural traits, such as woodcraft and birch bark canoes, because of their isolation from English and American settlements.

The Winnebago were a woodlands tribe of Sioux lineage. They are divided into two Phratries — the upper (air) people and lower (earth) people. They lived in permanent villages and grew maize, squash, beans and tobacco. Removed to Minnesota, they were driven out by white settlers, and today live in Nebraska.

The Blackfoot are actually three closely allied tribes, the Siksikas, Bloods, and Piegans. Much feared by early white trappers and fur traders, the Blackfoot killed any white man who encroached upon their hunting grounds in search of beaver. They lived in tipis and hunted buffalo like other Plains Indians. One of the Piegan's main ceremonials was the sun dance. They now live in Montana and Alberta, Canada.

The Plains Tribes

The Sioux Nation is comprised of three divisions: Lakota, Dakota and Nakota. The Lakota (or Tetons) are the seven westernmost tribes, and refer to themselves as Ikche-wichasha ("the real natural human beings"). They have been called "the red knights of the prairie," and claim as their heroes Red Cloud, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. These nomads carry their goods on horse travois, go on vision quests which include four-day fasts as part of the ritual, and practice the sun dance. Originally friendly to Europeans, they were among the greatest warriors against forced removal, annihilating Custer at the Little Bighorn. Their last battle was fought against overwhelming odds at Wounded Knee in 1890.

The Cheyenne practiced ritual dog-eating. Their name for themselves is Tis-Tsis-Tas ("the people"). Originally from the Great Lakes Region, they too epitomized the great horsemen and brave warriors of the plains. Allied with the Sioux, they fought with them at Little Bighorn against Custer and were honored by the Sioux as great warriors. Forced into Oklahoma, one group heroically returned to their old hunting grounds, settling in Montana. The Southern Cheyenne remained on their reservation in Oklahoma.

The Crow were a typical Plains tribe who adopted the nomadic lifestyle when they acquired horses and guns. They were known as fierce fighters and skilled horse thieves. The Crow furnished scouts for the Army, and thus became the enemies of many others of the Plains tribes. They reside in Montana.

Other Midwestern tribes include the Kiowa, Comanche, Osage, Oto, Pawnee, Sauk, Fox, and Illinois.

Southwest

Most of the tribes in this region are settled farmers. Many are pueblo-dwellers, who have adapted to the harsh desert environment. The sun was a potent force to these tribes and rain a much-needed blessing. They are the originators of the rain dance and the kivas, which were initially pit houses dug into the earth for shelter and as storage places. Some kivas are sacred, and the elders retreat into them to pray during important ceremonies. The ladder that reached from inside to the roof of the kiva symbolized life emerging from the Earth Mother. Among these tribes are the Apache, Hopi, Navajo, and Zuni.

The Apache were nomadic, living in wickiups (conical brush shelters). They hunted, gathered wild plants, and planted corn and squash. The Apache dressed in deer skin and wore their long hair loose and held by head bands. The men wore long breech cloths and soft thigh-high moccasins. Initially known more for their skill as runners, they became superb horsemen. Among their heroes were Cochise and Goyathlay (better known as Geronimo).

The Hopi are peaceful pueblo-dwellers. They are noted for their ability to coax corn and other crops to thrive in desert sands. Hopi women make pottery and baskets, while the men do the weaving and hunting. Women of marriageable age wear their hair in elaborate knots on either side of their heads called a squash-blossom style.

The Navaho, who call themselves the Dineh ("the people"), came from northwestern Canada. They were fierce raiders who terrorized the peaceful crop-growers of the Southwest. Over time, they adopted many of their pueblo neighbors' practices such as basketweaving and pottery making. They learned silversmithing from the Spaniards and weaving from the pueblos. Their religious practice, known as the Beauty Way, involves exuberance and joy in the richness and beauty of living. They are the largest tribe in the United States. Their reservation, which touches upon the Grand Canyon, contains Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly. Dineh women still wear their traditional colorful costumes set off by silver and turquoise necklaces. They live in hogans: domes of logs covered with mud with a smoke hole at the top.

The Papago and the Pima are closely related. Thought to be the descendants of the Hohokan, a prehistoric people who constructed an elaborate system of irrigation canals, both tribes excel in farming. The women of both tribes weave exceptionally beautiful baskets. Both tribes lived in dome-shaped houses and now reside in Arizona.

The Zuni were some of the first pueblo-dwellers to suffer from Spanish greed. The walls of their adobe houses looked like gold to Spanish explorers, prompting a report to the Spanish viceroy that the "fabled Seven Cities of Cibola, whose streets were paved with gold," had been found. As a result, Coronado and his armed adventurers plundered the pueblo. The Zuni fled to the top of an inaccessible mesa where they built a single, defensible village. They live there still.

Other Southwestern tribes include the Mojave, Tewa, Tiwa, and Yuma.

Far West

The Far West tribes are those of Montana, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, California, and Utah. They have varied cultures, but are not usually numbered among either the Plains tribes or those who lived along the coast of the Pacific Northwest. Among them are the Flatheads, Miwok, Modoc, Utes, and Nez Perces.

The Flatheads were a Salishan tribe in Montana who adopted Plains Indian culture with the arrival of the horse, and traded beaver and bison skins. Plains tribes gave them their unusual name to distinguish them from other Salishan tribes who did practice ritual forehead flattening.

The Miwok were a central Californian tribe who ate nuts, fished, and hunted deer and rabbits. They lived in conical houses made of poles. Women worked together with communal grinding stones. Before the Gold Rush, the Miwok were a prosperous tribe with a rich culture. Today they are practically extinct.

The Modoc lived in southwestern Oregon. They are most remembered for their fierce resistance to being forced onto reservations. The Modoc took shelter in the Lava Beds, where they defended themselves against thousands of soldiers who bombarded them with cannon-fire. Eventually, part o fthe tribe was removed to Oklahoma with the rest left in Oregon.

The Nez Perces, which means "pierced noses," customarily wore a piece of dentalium shell through their septums. They were semi-nomadic and best known for their trading skills, bravery and generosity. The fine basketweaving of their women and their breeding of Appaloosa horses brought them fame as well. Consistently friendly to Europeans, they lived in communal houses containing several families. Unjustly driven from their lands, they fought fiercely under their great leader, Chief Joseph. They now live in Idaho.

The Utes were from Colorado and eastern Utah, and shared many cultural traits with the more northern Plains tribes. Mormon settlers and mining interests forced them off much of their ancestral lands. Generally friendly to Europeans, they now raise cattle and live on reservations in Colorado and Utah.

Far North & Pacific Northwest

The people of this region are either coastal dwellers or natives of the frozen north. Those who reside along the Pacific Coast are usually referred to as the tribes of the Pacific Northwest, while the Aleuts and Inuits are usually called Eskimos. All these tribes derive much of their livelihood from fishing and hunting, and must cope with the long, cold winters of the north.

The Far Northern Tribes

The Aleuts are a branch of the Inuit who live mostly on the Aleutian Islands. The name came from Russian traders; their own name for themselves is unangan ("the people"). They were adept at hunting and harvesting sea resources from their skin-covered kayaks. They suffered greatly from exploitation at the hands of Russian traders who came to the islands in the mid-18th century.

The Inuit are more familiarly called Eskimo ("those who eat their food raw") They are big game hunters, preying mostly on seal, walrus, caribou and polar bear. On land they use dog sleds, while on water they use kayaks and umiaks. Whenever they must, they still build igloos. The Inuit are found throughout the Arctic, Alaska and Northern Canada. Plans are underway to make a great portion of Northeastern Canada (including Hudson Bay) a homeland for the Inuit.

The Pacific Coastal Tribes

The Chinook live in Washington state. Their trade jargon became the common language used throughout the Northwest, and many interior tribes came to trade furs, mountain-sheep horn and war captives for salmon, shells and other goods. The words potlatch and hootch are derived from their language. Incursions by the European trade companies broke their trade monopoly by introducing diseases that decimated the tribe.

The Haida live on Queen Charlotte Island off the coast of British Columbia. Once hunters of whales and sea otters, they traveled in huge canoes hollowed out ofsingle enormous cedar trees. Known for their totem poles, masks and decorations on their wooden houses, contact with Europeans was devastating to the Haida as they fell victim to smallpox and venereal disease.

The Kwakiutl lived on Vancouver Island in large painted houses decorated with carvings. Their elaborate totem poles and masks are famous. The Kwakiutl fished and warred from huge canoes that featured carved prow figures. They engaged in potlatch feasts and waged war for both prestige and slaves. They had many secret societies, such as the cannibal society.

The Lumni are a Salishan tribe of northwestern Washington. Salmon is their main food, and their ceremonies revolve around salmon and fishing. Lumni women make fine baskets and are renowned for their dog-hair blankets. The Lumni once fought annual ceremonial battles with the Haida for the purpose of capturing slaves. These encounters are still remembered in a yearly warrior ceremony which includes canoe racing and dancing. Their reservation is in Washington.

The Tlingit are the northernmost of the great coastal tribes. They lived in large rectangular houses that were decorated and painted. Like other coastal tribes, the Tlingit fished in big dugout canoes, held potlatches, and made war to capture slaves and booty. Known as great carvers, they produce totem poles, masks, and ceremonial rattles. Tlingit women weave the famous Chilkat blankets and fine multicolored baskets. Their dress is highly decorative, and is often covered with images of eagles and other animals. They live in Alaska.

The Tsimshian are culturally related to the Haida and Kwakiutl. Artistic carvers and weavers of Chilkat blankets, they also fish for salmon, halibut, cod, and shellfish, and once hunted whales. Their original home was in British Columbia. In 1884, a Church of England clergyman persuaded them to move to Alaska, where they are active in both the political and economic life of the state.

Camps

Camps replace the designation of Court for Nunnehi changelings. Because they are not a part of the Celtic-influenced lifestyle of either the noble or commoner changelings, Nunnehi fall outside the Seelie/Unseelie framework of mainstream changeling society. The terms Seelie and Unseelie are simply not relevant for Native-American changelings. Instead, Nunnehi belong to either the Winter (or Rock), Summer (or Dogwood) or Midseason (or Laurel) Camps.

Knowing the customs and practices of a Nunnehi's tribe can be very important in determining which Camp they are currently espousing. Unlike other changelings, it is possible to determine whether a Nunnehi is a Winter person, Summer person or Midseason person by examining her clothing, accessories and expression. Nunnehi are not given to hiding what they feel. Indeed, it is even possible to guess at a Nunnehi's Camp if her membership in a secret society is known. When they shift camps, they become less active in their respective groups.

• Winter People
• Summer People
• Midseason People

It is possible for Nunnehi to switch from one Camp to another, just as changelings can change Courts from Seelie to Unseelie and vice versa. Association with the Midseason, or Laurel, Camp is usually transitory. A Winter Nunnehi's anger will usually devolve into harmless pranks before dissipating as the Summer nature assumes prominence. In a similar fashion, a Summer Nunnehi will begin indulging in minor pranks as her compassionate tendencies decrease and her Winter nature rises to control her personality. Seeming

Nunnehi have the same three age-related seemings as other changelings, but they refer to childlings as "younglings," wilders as "braves" and grumps as "elders." Their perspective on aging is not remotely the same as most changelings. For each change, Nunnehi are given special tribal names by which they are called. As each new name is taken, the other is symbolically cast away from its former owner so that any curses or had luck associated with it will not follow the Nunnehi into the next phase of their life.

• Youngling
• Brave
• Elders

The Nunnehi Families

The Nunnehi Families are arranged according to geographic location as they have been shaped by the dreams and stories shared by many tribes in a specific area. The Nunnehi are often regarded as a mixed blessing by their tribes, because they may use their powers to harm as easily as to help. Whether harmful or helpful, many Nunnehi have frightening aspects to their characters as a means of engendering respect. While the natives might prefer those Nunnehi who are usually helpful, they show both caution and respect to all of them.

Legacies

All Nunnehi must choose both a Summer and a Winter Legacy. An individual who belongs to the Summer Camp follows their Summer Legacy, while a member of the Winter Camp allows their Winter Legacy to dominate their personality. If a Nunnehi character changes from a Summer person to a Winter person or vice versa during the course of a story, the Storyteller needs to be made aware of the transformation, and the player must be sure that the character's actions fit their new Camp. Occasionally, changes from one Camp to another may occur instantaneously in response to overwhelming circumstances, but most often the change will be gradual, and the character will go through a period of transition in which they become a Midseason person.

Each Legacy has a Vision and Taboo. The Vision details the way for that Legacy to regain lost Willpower points, similar to a Quest among the Kithain. The Taboo is intended as a guide to roleplaying and is nor a hard and fast rule. It is similar to a Ban among the Kithain.