Thomas Doty – Storyteller

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Jakalunus

In the twilight of Dreamtime and the flickering years of Indian wars and reservations, there lived a man named Jakalunus, the greatest of the Modoc doctors.

They say he had a pipe that lit itself and that he kept stuffed jackrabbits inside his house that started hopping and dancing when white folks came around. His spirit rabbits destroyed Modoc enemies, and the power of his songs brought people back from the brink of death.

Modoc doctors draw their power from visions and are often called "dream doctors." Their lives become myths which are "dreams gone public."

Beyond the twilight of Dreamtime, around campfires at pow wows and in 20th century living rooms, the stories of Jakalunus are still being told.

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