Arikara Bear Transformation Story

This Arikara story narrates how a girl and her brothers became a constellation and how Devils Tower was formed. A girl, pressured into playing a game, transforms into a bear and destroys her village. Her sister seeks help from their brothers, who devise a plan to defeat the bear by targeting its weakness. Despite their efforts, the bear revives and chases them. The siblings escape by climbing a stone that grows into Devils Tower, leaving the bear unable to reach them. Eventually, they ascend to the sky, forming a cluster of stars.

What is the main theme of the Arikara story?

• The creation of the Earth

• The origin of a star cluster and Devils Tower

• The history of the Arikara tribe

• The life of a bear in the wild

What game were the children playing that led to the transformation?

• Tag

• Pretending to be a bear

• Hide and seek

• Building a fort

What did the girl become after the transformation?

• A mystical dragon

• A wise owl

• A ferocious bear

• A giant eagle

Who did the bear make her servant?

• Her brother

• Her little sister

• Her friend

• Her mother

What did the brothers ask their sister to find out?

• The bear's favorite food

• The bear's weakness

• The bear's secret cave

• The bear's magical powers

What was the bear's weakness?

• Her tail

• Her two smallest toes

• Her heart

• Her eyes

What did the siblings do to try and defeat the bear?

• Cut off her two smallest toes

• Poisoned her food

• Trapped her in a net

• Sang a magical song

What happened after the bear was burned?

• She disappeared forever

• She turned into a human

• She came back to life

• She became a constellation

How did the siblings escape the bear's wrath?

• They asked a stone for help

• They climbed a tree

• They swam across a river

• They hid in a cave

What did the siblings become in the end?

• A new tribe

• A cluster of stars

• A powerful storm

• A group of animals