There have been legends of small creatures living in caves or mountains for centuries, especially in the American culture. It was believed that some of them lived in the Pryor Mountains.
The Native Americans often tell enigmatic stories about mysterious beings known as “little people,” who lived in forests, caves, and mountains near large bodies of water, like the Great Lakes.
The legends of the little people describe beings with a height of 40 centimeters or less. They were regarded by some tribes as mythological beings, similar to fairies and goblins.
Before European settlers arrived in North America, these stories were widely known among the indigenous people. This rules out the idea that they are like goblins, as some scholars suggest.
Native Americans in Wyoming regarded the Nimerigar as very small and violent people who were best avoided at all costs.
Their presence was thought to be a distraction to cause trouble. They were regarded as gods by some. Some tribes even believed they lived in caves nearby, which were never explored to prevent disturbing them.
In contrast, the Cherokees call them the Ynwi-Tsunsdi, a race of small people who do not often show up in their communities. The beings were thought to be capable of using magical abilities to help and harm people, depending on their treatment.
In South Carolina, the Catawba shared myths about the spirit world that reflected their own culture and the Christian faith. They believed in the Yehasuri, or tiny wild people, living in the forests.
Native American mythology also includes the Pukwudgies, human-like creatures with large ears and a gray face. A version of this legend is spread across the Northeastern United States, south-eastern Canada, and the Great Lakes region.
A race of small people inhabiting the Pryor Mountains has also been reported by the Crow Indians. There is a mountainous region in Carbon and Big Horn counties in Montana which contains the Crow Indian Reservation.
Petroglyphs found on rocks in the area were attributed to the little people, according to local legend.
The Pryor Mountains were also considered to be home to small creatures by other tribes. In 1804 the Lewis and Clark expedition reported seeing creatures that lived on the Vermillion River, then known as the White Stone River.
Various Native American tribes believe that area to be a place where demons dwell. The bodies of these creatures are human-like, their heads are large and they are less than one meter tall. They carry sharp arrows that can kill from a long distance, so they’re always on the defensive.
Native people often blamed these beings for their deaths when they attempted to cross the hill.
However, the little people are sacred to the ravens and credited with creating their tribe, and were worshipped like gods.
The existence of the so-called Little People is shared by different tribes of Native Americans.
Myths or legends, or actually undocumented beings? Your call.
