Little People In The Andes And The Americas
You’ve seen them in T.V shows as a kid or seen them associated with the holiday Christmas. There are many names for these little people Gnomes, Elves, Dwarves, Duende, etc. I can’t recall a culture who didn’t believe in these supernatural little beings. In “Indian Country” (The Americas) we know them as a general term called “Little People”. So you’re probably asking yourself
Who are the Little People?
Although every culture has their own stories about them, Little People are usually depicted as really small magical people who live in the woods or caves. They are also known to cause mischief for being a trickster like being.
Tribes That Have Stories Of Little People And What They Call Them
Muki- Quechua
Pugalotamooj- Mi’kmaq
Alux - Maya
Geow-lud-mo-sis-eg - Maliseet
Ircinraq - Yup'ik
Ishigaq - Inuit
Jogahoh - Iroquois
Mannegishi - Cree
Memegwesi - Anishinaabe
Nimerigar - Shoshone
Nirumbee[10] - Crow
Nunnupi - Comanche
Pukwudgie - Wampanoag
Yehasuri - Catawba
Yunwi Tsunsdi - Cherokee
Canotila - Lakota
Kowi Anukasha - Choctaw
In my culture we call Little People Mukikuna (Plural) or Muki (Singular). Ironically enough I never thought we believed in them until the pandemic when my grandmother told me a story about her seeing 3 of them one night in our village. My grandmother is the type of person to really keep things to her self, but the older I get she begins to tell me stories, that truly capture my attention. I originally thought she was joking, but she was being really serious. She mentioned a story about when she was a kid, one morning she saw a shawl on the floor underneath a bridge close to the river. When she was coming back late at night she still saw the shawl there, so she went to go grab it. She said it was so beautiful that she couldn’t help but think of it all day and she left it in case someone would go back for it. By the end of the night she decided to grab it because no one claimed it. She said that she would never forget what she had witnessed.
My grandmother witnessed 3 little people come out of the darkness, and she grabbed the shawl and ran because she was scared. She said that they looked like us meaning they dressed in traditional clothes. I had originally asked “you mean they were children?” and she would get frustrated and say “No”. She then would say “They were little people. They weren’t babies or children. I know what a child looks like.”. Honestly I could believe it because my grandmother is not the type to exaggerate. Actually my grandmother is more of a skeptic, but she told me she will never forget that night.
I’m not entirely sure about how we got into the conversation, but I was shocked she told me that story. It is said that in our tradition Mukikuna live in Uku Pacha (the lower world). The Little people if seen by an adult, they would beg them not to say anything of their existence and would reward those who kept their word by helping them and their family out in times of need. From tribe to tribe there are variations of what the little people's mannerisms were like, and whether they were good or evil may be different. The one’s my grandmother described didnt seem to be evil but were more curious.
Muki are said to be alone or in groups. They are said to be no greater than 2ft tall. They live in a timeless world of eternal darkness and they don't age. They are known to live in the woods, caves, or in the mines. Those who have witnessed a Muki say that he wears a helmet, a miner's outfit and studded boots. Others claim he wears a green outfit with a vicuna cape. He is known to walk like a duck because his feet are big and his legs can take the shape of a goose or crows foot.
It is said they whistle loudly to warn miners they take a liking to, during times of danger. Mukikuna are little super natural beings with a lot of power. They are said to be able to make the metal veins appear and disappear, sense the moods and emotions of the miners, help with the miner's work by softening or hardening the metal veins, etc. They are known to help miners and sometimes to make pacts with them. They gravitate towards people they feel are honest and who will keep their existence as a secret. There are many tales that claim it is possible to capture a Muki and make a pact with him. Very often he offers to do the miners’ work for some coca, alcohol or the company of a woman, as that helps him feel less lonely. Yet, the outcome tends to be tragic due to the miner rarely being able to do as promised. When this occurs, the Muki takes the miner's life.