Creation Stories - The Origins of Culture

gyundt - all the images were made by photographing felt fabric cutouts, then animating the whole thing in Adobe After Effects.

The first people were the Sky People, they lived beyond the sky because there was no earth beneath. One day the chief's daughter became very ill and no one was able to provide a cure for her sickness. A wise elder was consulted and he told them to dig up a tree and lay the girl beside the hole that remained. The Sky People respected the elder and began to dig up the tree. Suddenly the tree fell down through the hole and dragged the chief's daughter with it. As the girl fell she saw that below was only an ocean of water. Two swans were alarmed by the girl falling and decided she was too beautiful to drown so they swam to catch her. They landed her on the back of the Great Turtle, and all of the animals of the  earth gathered. The Great Turtle councils that the Sky Woman is a symbol of good fortune. He orders the animals to find where the Sky World tree had landed in the ocean and to bring it back with its earth-covered roots. The swans lead the animals to the place where the tree had fallen into the ocean. First otter, then  muskrat, and then beaver dove in search of the tree. Each animal came back to the surface without the tree and died from exhaustion. Many other animals tried but they also died. An elder woman toad volunteered. She dove and remained below a long time. All of the animals thought she had been lost, when at last she surfaced and before dying managed to spit a mouthful of earth onto the back of the Great Turtle. This earth was magical and contained the power of growth. The island grew and grew until it was large enough for the Sky Woman to live on. The two swans set the woman upon the island and circled it encouraging it to grow  into the world island it is today. Yet the world was dark. Again the Great Turtle  called for the animals to gather. They decided to put a great light in the sky. A  little turtle volunteered and climbed up to the sky with the help of the other  animals' magic. Little turtle climbed into a black cloud and crawled around the sky collecting the lightning as she went. She made a big bright ball from the lightening and threw it into the sky. Then she collected more for a smaller ball which she also threw into the sky. The first ball became the sun, the second ball became the moon. Then the Great Turtle commanded the burrowing animals to  make holes in the corners of the sky so that the sun and moon could go down  through one and climb up again through the other as they circled. So there was day and night. The Sky woman lived on the island on top of the Great Turtle's back. She gave birth to twins, one good called Tharonhiawagon, one evil called Tawiskaron. From the breast of Sky Woman grows three sisters corn, beans, and  squash.

The Indian Peoples of Eastern America: A Documentary History of the Sexes. Edited James Axtell, Oxford University Press, 1981

Uploaded by Elizabeth Satory

Long ago there was a time when water covered the entire world. Napi the creator wanted to know what happened below all of this water. He sent a duck, an otter, then a badger, but all came up with nothing. Finally, a muskrat dove beneath the water and was down a very long time. He returned with a ball of mud in his paws. Napi took the lump and blew on it until it dried and was transformed into the earth. He molded the hills, valley, and mountains with his hands. He created groves in the earth for rivers and lakes. The first people were molded from this earth and Napi taught men and women how to hunt and to live. Once Napi felt his work was complete, he climbed up to a mountain peak and disappeared.

Origins Canadian History to Confederation. 3rd edition. R.D. Francis, R. Jones, D.B. Smith, Harcourt Brace & Co. Toronto, 1996.

An Inuit creation story made by Otters Class at St Matthew's Primary School

Long ago a great catastrophe caused the world's supporting pillars to collapse and destroy the earth. Two men emerged full-grown from lumps of earth. They married each other, and one became heavy with child. The other man sang a magic song, which caused the pregnant man's penis to divide, he then became a
woman and gave birth to a girl child. The mother and father giants cared for the child who grew large and fiercely loved meat. One night she bit into her parent's limbs while they slept. They awoke in horror as she tried to bite them again. They took her in a umiak far out into the deepest sea, where they pushed her into the water. She clung to the side of the boat, so they cut off her fingers. The fingers became whales, seals, and shoals of fish. The giant parents were afraid of their child and they rowed away into the night. The giant girl became the demon girl Sedna, the Great Mother of sea creatures. She causes storms and governs the migrations of her sea creature children.

North American Indian Mythology. Cottie Burland, Hamlyn Publishing, 1965

The first people of the earth had to endure winter for the entire twelve months of the year. Most of the land was covered by massive, moving layers of ice and deep snow. No trees or bushes or flowers could survive in the harsh gripping cold. The lakes and rivers were frozen, so no water flowed. It was a land of endless cold. One day when the first people were out hunting, they came upon a bear who had a sack around his neck. The hunters were very curious and asked the bear what was in the sack. The bear growled a reply that he had a sack filled with the abundance of summer's warmth and light. The hunters wanted the sack and offered to trade, but the bear would not part with his sack. The hunters begged the bear, but still, he refused to give up his sack. When they saw that it was useless to argue any longer, they decided to return to their people and think of some plan to take away the coveted sack. The chief heard the entire story and called his people together to arrive at a plan of how to take the sack away from the reluctant bear. They decided to lure the bear to a great feast, fill him with food, and when he slept, steal the sack. A tempting feast of moose and caribou was prepared. The hunters searched for the bear and located him. They asked the bear to attend the feast in his honour and the bear readily accepted. The bear arrived in the evening but did not have the sack around his neck. Although disappointed the people served the feast anyway. The bear ate his fill and fell asleep. The chief was frustrated and wanted the sack. He ordered four of the village's skilled hunters to follow the bear home and steal the sack by any means. 

The next morning the bear awoke and bid the chief and his people farewell. The four hunters followed closely behind the bear when they came upon a large cave. Peering inside, they spotted the sack laying upon the cave floor with two black bears guarding it. The hunters were very courageous, and they sprang into the cave to demand the sack. A fierce fight killed three of the hunters and mortally wounded the fourth, but before he died, he grabbed the sack and unleashed the abundance of warmth and light. Instantly, the air became warm and the sky filled with bright sunlight. The snow melted into rivers and lakes. The hills and valleys were covered with trees, flowers, and bushes. Strange birds flew in great numbers and built nests and streams filled with fish. Every year since that time, Summer has come to the Dene.

INTRODUCTION

The first person that was created on this Earth was Glooscap, with his head lying in the direction of the rising sun, and his feet in the direction of the setting sun. And his arms were outstretched, one to the south, and one to the north.

And so Glooscap was created on the surface of the Earth, stretched out in the four directions. And he was created with all of the Earth’s elements: the dirt and leaves, the plants and stones and wood. Everything was gathered together to form Glooscap on the surface of the earth.

But creation did not begin with Glooscap. He came to life within the Seven Levels of Creation, which is represented by the Seven sacred directions.

The first level of creation comes with The Giver of Life. In the Mi’kmaq understanding of the world, the sky or the direction above is symbolic of this first level of creation.

The second level of creation is our Grandfather Sun. The sun is symbolic of the centre direction and also of the self.

The third level of creation is Mother Earth. She is represented in the direction below us.

The fourth level of creation is represented by Glooscap lying with his head in the East as he is being formed. And the quality of leadership is associated with this direction, as well as the birds.

The fifth level of creation is represented by Grandmother in the South - she is symbolic of wisdom and knowledge, and also the animal life.

The sixth level of creation is represented by the Young Man, the Nephew, and the west. He is symbolic of youth and vision and strength, and the fish, the ocean life.

The seventh level of creation is represented by the Mother in the North - she is symbolic of understanding and love, and the plant life.

These are the Seven Sacred Directions that represent the seven levels of Creation.

FIRST LEVEL OF CREATION - THE GIVER OF LIFE

The first level of Creation is what we call Gisoolg in the Mi’kmaq language. When we say Gisoolg, it means that you have been created, and you are being created.

It’s important to understand: that word, Gisoolg, is a verb, an action. Most of our indigenous languages are made up of action words, because in our view of the world, everything is alive, and has a spirit. And our way is not to stand around and talk about our beliefs and lifestyles, with words that symbolize inanimate things. Our elders showed us how to live by example, rather than just explaining it to us.

Here, I only share the spoken aspect of the Creation story in English. It would take a long time to give detailed examples, and support a deeper understanding of our traditional Mi’kmaq lifestyles and beliefs. But try to understand that these teachings are about a way of living, and experience that relates directly to all life, both seen and unseen.

And so, the Giver of Life is the first action, and it is the mystery of creation that exists all around us, unfolding in great cycles, and which we regard with awe. You can see it in the flowers and leaves that come out in the spring, in how they flourish all summer with sun, wind, and rain; in how the waters lessen and the sun grows more powerful as the summer passes; in how plants lose vitality and fall to the ground; and in how they enrich the roots and soil, feed the earth with their nutrients and become something else - life passing into another life. This great beauty, these unfolding cycles of life and death, all taken together as one, contain the mystery of existence and are a part of this wonder of creation all around us.

In the Mi’kmaq spiritual context, we look to the sky to acknowledge the Creator, the great Giver of Life, who comes first and contains all things.

In the Mi’kmaq spiritual context, we look to the sky to acknowledge the Creator, the great Giver of Life, who comes first and contains all things.

SECOND LEVEL OF CREATION – GRANDFATHER SUN

The second level of creation is the sun, which we call Nisgam, or grandfather. Grandfather Sun gives us our shadows. And when we say “shadows “ in Mi’kmaq, it refers to the spirits of the ancestors. So the shadows that Grandfather Sun gives us are the spirits of our ancestors.

And our Elders say that you are linked with your shadow, with the spirits of your ancestors, through your connection to the Earth, through your feet, and through your blood, which is their blood running through your body, which transforms itself to you. So the eyes and faces and smiles of our ancestors, their movements and mannerisms, and identity, are in fact reflected in our bodies: we reflect our shadow, our ancestors in the Earth, as we reach up to the sun.

In this way, we embody all our ancestors, carry their behaviours, share their hearts and lungs, as we breathe in the same air they once did. And so when we make offerings to the land in a ceremony, we recognize our connection from the Sun to Mother Earth, who bears our ancestors. And Grandfather Sun teaches us all this by giving us our shadows.

And so we ourselves are in the centre of the world, where Grandfather Sun passes down to meet Mother Earth. And that centre is one of the seven sacred directions because our shadow is the connection between the spirit world and the physical world. And we are the embodiment of that centre, which is also represented in our Grandfather Sun.

And so we ourselves are in the centre of the world, where Grandfather Sun passes down to meet Mother Earth. And that centre is one of the seven sacred directions because our shadow is the connection between the spirit world and the physical world. And we are the embodiment of that centre, which is also represented in our Grandfather Sun.

THIRD LEVEL OF CREATION – MOTHER EARTH 

The third level of creation, down below us, is our Mother Earth, on whom we walk, and who bears the spirits of our ancestors. In our language, we call the Earth Wesgit. And the top of the drum is called Wesgijew. And a person standing upon a drum would be Wesgit ga’amit. And the individual that stands, we call them Osgijinew, meaning the person who peeled himself off the surface of the Earth and is standing erect. Osgijinew refers to the people. And amazingly enough, the earth itself is also called Otsit gamew. It’s the surface on which we stand and which we share with all living entities. That’s what we call our Mother the Earth. And when I say it is our mother, the term is “Ogijinew.”

And so our words for the people, and for the Earth, and for a mother, and the drum, all come from that term which refers to “the surface on which we stand, and which we share with other surface dwellers.”

And so when we talk about the drum, we are talking about our Mother the Earth. When we hear that drumbeat, we are hearing the heartbeat of our Mother the Earth. And so it is understood that when we drum we are acknowledging that we are children of the Earth and that we are sending a message back to our own mother, saying, “We hear you, we understand, and we recognize your heartbeat in the same way that a child after it is born recognizes the heartbeat of its own mother.” And so we call her Ogijinew.

FOURTH LEVEL OF CREATION – GLOOSCAP 

In the fourth level of creation, a bolt of lightning strikes the Earth. And a person is created on the surface of the Earth, from the elements of our Mother – from the dirt and leaves and feathers and bones and stones and wood. And his head is in the direction of the rising sun, in the east; and his feet are in the direction of the setting sun, and his arms are outstretched to the south and the north. And so on the fourth level of creation, Glooscap is created.

And after the passing of one winter, Glooscap is struck with a second bolt of lightning. And with this second bolt of lightning, he is given his fingers and toes and all the other extremities. And he is also given the seven sacred parts to his head: two ears, two eyes, two holes in his nose and a mouth. And he is given all these things while still lying on the surface of the Earth.
And so it wasn’t until the passing of another winter, the third winter, when the Thunder Spirits, the clouds and rain and thunder and lightning, hit the earth again, striking Glooscap where he lay. Finally released from the earth’s surface, he stood up. And right away he looked into the sky and said, “Gisoolg, wela’lin - Thank you, Giver of Life, for giving me my life.”

And then he looked at Grandfather Sun, and within himself, and he said, “Nisgamitj, wela’lin - Thank you, Grandfather Sun, for giving me my shadow, my spirit.” And then he looked down below him to the earth and said, “My mother, thank you for giving me your self, your substance, for my creation.”

And then he turned around seven times and began to travel in the direction of the setting sun, the path of Grandfather. And he followed it until Grandfather disappeared. In this way, he arrived at the land of the mountains and the ocean in the west.

He then decided to travel south, until he arrived in the land of red soil, and then he turned back and went up north until he arrived at the land of the ice and snow. And then he decided to go back to the land of his creation, in the east. And in this way, he traveled the whole continent.

And there in the east, early in the morning, he saw Grandfather Sun peeking over the horizon, a bright yellow sun. And he traveled toward the east until he finally arrived at the place where he was given his creation.

And he stood in that place, in the middle of a circle of sparks that were left over from the time when those three bolts of lightning had struck the earth and created him.

As he stood there in that circle of sparks, he looked up at Grandfather Sun in the noonday sky and was going to ask what his purpose was. But before he could say anything, he saw a bird circling in the sky, and this bird then descended and it landed in front of him.

And this bird had a white head; it was a bald eagle. And it said, “My name is Git’pu. I am the bird that flies the highest in the sky, and I have been given the responsibility by the Creator, Gisoolg, and Grandfather Sun and Mother Earth, to be the messenger, to come and tell you that you’re going to be joined soon by the rest of your family, to help you understand your place in the world.”

So Glooscap was happy that the eagle had come to visit him, and watched as the eagle flew up into the sky. And as the bird flew up, a feather came floating down. And before that feather could hit the Earth, Glooscap took it and looked up into the sky. He felt so strong holding onto that eagle feather. And from that moment on the eagle feather has been a symbol of strength connecting our people with the Giver of Life, and Grandfather Sun and Mother Earth.

FIFTH LEVEL of CREATION – GRANDMOTHER

As Glooscap traveled around, he came upon an old woman sitting on a rock. So he went up to her and said, “Who are you; where do you come from?” The old woman looked at Glooscap, and said, “You do not recognize me? I am your grandmother. I owe my existence from this rock on the ground. Early this morning dew formed on this rock’s surface, and with the help of the Giver of Life, I was given the body of an old woman, already wise and knowledgeable. If you respect my wisdom and my knowledge, this rock will help you understand your place in this world.”

And Glooscap was glad his grandmother came to join him. He was grateful that now he had someone who was going to teach him all there was to know about living on Mother Earth. Wise in many ways, grandmother told Glooscap that she was going to teach him everything there was to know about the sky, Grandfather Sun, Grandmother Moon, the stars, the road of the spirits or the shadows, the Milky Way, and so many other things - and that she would teach him everything there was to know about the wind and the seasons and the tides and the characteristics and behaviors of the plants and animals, and how to make food and clothing and shelter. So Glooscap was happy when his Grandmother came into the world.

Soon after this, Glooscap saw a small animal scurrying along. It was Abistanooj, a marten. And he said, “Abistanooj, my brother, come here; I have a favour to ask of you.” And the Abistanooj came over, and he said, “What do you want, brother Glooscap?” And Glooscap said, “Well, I want to ask if you can give up your life. Grandmother and I need to continue to live; we need to rely on your body because you can provide for us. With your skin, we can make our clothing, with your flesh we can eat, with your bones we can make our tools, and your internal organs we can use for our medicines.”

The animal looked down, and then looked up at Glooscap, and said, “Yes, take my life, I give it to you, so you and your grandmother can live.” So Glooscap picked up Abistenooj and brought him over to grandmother, and grandmother snapped the neck of the little animal and laid him down on the ground. In the meantime, Glooscap, with his eagle feather in hand, looked up into the sky, and said, “Oh, Gesoolg, forgive me for taking the life of the animal, my brother. Grandfather Sun, forgive me for taking the shadow of the animal, my brother, and Mother Earth, forgive me for taking part of yourself for my creation and my sustenance.”

In the meantime, Grandmother was preparing the animal, and she told Glooscap: “Pick up the seven sparks left over from the bolts of lightning that caused your creation. Bring them together in the middle of this pit. And bring seven pieces of dry wood, and arrange them on top of the seven sparks. And invite our cousin Whirlwind, Wejosin, to come in.” And so Glooscap did all this, and Wejosin came in and swirled around and left, and that swirling around caused the seven sparks to heat up and the seven pieces of dry wood to burn. This is how the first fire was created. The Jibuktew, we call it in our language - the Great Spirit fire. And so it was on this Great Spirit fire that Grandmother cooked the animal, the marten. And they shared this meat. They had a feast of meat, to celebrate Grandmother’s arrival into the world.

And so Grandmother taught Glooscap about the fire and its relationship to our survival. And they lived together, and Grandmother shared her knowledge. She made their clothing and tools from the animal that Glooscap brought her and taught him everything there was to know about surviving.

SIXTH LEVEL OF CREATION – NEPHEW 

One day, while Grandmother went off to find wood for the fire, Glooscap decided to take a walk down by the ocean.

As he walked among the tall sweet-smelling grass, a young man stood up in front of him. And though he was young, he was big, and tall and husky, with white sparkling eyes. And Glooscap looked at him and said, “Who are you? Where did you come from?”

“Oh, my uncle, you do not recognize me? I am your sister’s son. I owe my existence to the Wejosin, Whirlwind. When he passed through the ocean, in the direction of the rising sun, he caused the water to foam, and roil up. And this foam was blown ashore and carried by the whirlwind along the sand, picking up all these rocks, and feathers and wood and everything else, until it finally came to rest on this tall sweet-smelling grass. And then, with the help of the Giver of Life, Grandfather Sun and Mother Earth, I was given the body of a young man.”

He said to Glooscap, “I am strong. I have very strong arms and legs; I can do things for you and Grandmother. But I also have vision. I bring vision to the future.” He said, “I am looking at you.” In this way, our elders teach us that Glooscap had to understand that the young people were looking at him. And that he had to live his life in such a way that he would leave a legacy of life and survival for the younger generations to come.

And the young man also said, “I bring the gifts of our ancestors.” So in this way, our elders tell us that little children are the gifts of our ancestors. And they also carry all the characteristics and images of our ancestors: our Grandmothers, our Grandfathers, and so on.

And so Glooscap was happy that his nephew came into the world to share his life, to offer his strength, and to share his vision – because young people look ahead of us; they see into the future and provide us with guidance in the way we live, so that we share our survival with the generations to come. And so the nephew and Glooscap came back to grandmother with this understanding.

And because the nephew owed his existence from the ocean, Glooscap called upon the fish. He said, “My brothers and sisters, fish of the waters and the rivers and the oceans: come ashore and offer yourselves, because we need you for our survival.” And so the fish came ashore, and he brought the fish to Grandmother. And he apologized for taking the life of the fish, and for taking the shadow of the fish. And he apologized to Mother Earth for taking elements from her for his own survival, and for the survival of his grandmother and his nephew.

And Grandmother prepared a feast of fish to celebrate the arrival of the young man, Glooscap’s nephew. And so they ate and shared their life and Grandmother continued to teach them everything there was to know the world and about surviving on the Earth.

SEVENTH LEVEL OF CREATION – MOTHER

So finally, Glooscap was alone by the fire one day, and he had just finished putting another piece of wood to the fire. And as he was sitting there, a woman came and sat beside him, and she put her arm around him and said, “Are you cold my son?” And he looked at her and said, “Who are you; where did you come from?”

She said, “I am your mother; I am Nigan aganim kwoseesg. Early this morning, I was a leaf on a tree that fell to the ground, and dew formed over this leaf, and with the help of the Giver of Life, Grandfather Sun, and Mother Earth, gave me the body of a young woman.”

She said, “I bring strength for my children. I bring the colors of the world: the blue of the sky, the yellow of the sun, the green of the grass, the trees and the leaves, and the red of the earth, the black of the night, and the white of the snow. And I bring understanding and love, so that my children will learn to take care of each other, to rely on and love one another.” And so this is how Glooscap’s mother came into the world.

And so Glooscap was happy that she came to teach him how to love and understand and share with others, about how we all rely on one another for survival. In appreciation of his mother, Glooscap called upon his nephew to go and gather the food that came from the plants, the roots, the berries, the nuts, the fruits, and so on. So the food was brought together, and Grandmother prepared a feast to celebrate the coming of Glooscap’s mother into the world, her creation.

And so they all assembled, and shared. And Glooscap’s Grandmother, Nogami, was doing all the teaching that needed to be done; and the nephew was watching everything, and helping everyone. And Glooscap was there to show leadership, respecting the teachings of the elders, and respecting the young people for their vision and their strength, and the gifts they bring from the spirits of our ancestors, and respecting his mother’s teaching to love and care for others, and rely on one another. And so, in this way they lived a very good life.

Intro sequence from 1990 BBC documentary film "Haida Gwaii: Islands of the People" featuring Haida leader, Guujaaw, and his son Jaalen.

http://www.haidanation.ca

Long ago no divisions existed between humans, animals, and spirits. All things of the earth, sky, and, water were connected and all beings could pass freely between them. The Raven was a trickster full of supernatural power. He stole the sun from his grandfather Nasshahkeeyalhl and made the moon and stars from it. The Raven created lakes, rivers and filled the lands with trees. He divided night and day, then pulled the tides into a rhythm. He filled the streams with fresh water, scattered the eggs of salmon and trout, and placed animals in the forests. The first human was hiding in a giant clamshell and Raven released them onto the beaches and gave humans fire. Raven disappeared and took with him the power of the spirit world to communicate and connect with humans.

The Raven's Tale. Cheryl Samuel, University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver, 1987.

Grandmother's Creation Story~ (Cree)
By Sharron John, Cree

"Long ago the Creator looked out over the perfect world he had made, at the oceans, mountains, plains, deserts, lakes and rivers and he was pleased. He looked upon the plants and trees and was happy at what he saw. Still, he felt there was something missing.

There was no movement, nothing to enjoy the beauty he had created. So he created the animals, birds, creepers, and fish. He made them in all sizes, forms, colors and shapes. As he watched them roam over Mother Earth, enjoying the beauty of his creations he was pleased with all that he had done. Life continued on Mother Earth in perfect balance and harmony.

Posted by Terri Benning on September 1, 2012 at 10:27pm in ANIMAL LEGENDS, MYTHS & LORE

Totem Talk: Working with The Animal Totems

The Creation Story – Turtle Island For the Ojibway/Anishinabe people, the legend is as follows. 

Long ago, after the Great Mystery, or Kitchi-Manitou, first peopled the earth, the Anishinabe, or Original People, strayed from their harmonious ways and began to argue and fight with one another. Brother turned against brother and soon the Anishinabe were killing one another over hunting grounds and others disagreements. Seeing that harmony, brotherhood, sisterhood, and respect for all living things no longer prevailed on Earth, Kitchi-Manitou decided to purify the Earth. He did this with water. The water came in the form of a great flood, or mush-ko'-be-wun', upon the Earth destroying the Anishinabe people and most of the animals as well. 

Only Nanaboozhoo, the central figure in many of the Anishinabe oral traditions, was able to survive the flood, along with a few animals and birds who managed to swim and fly. Nanaboozhoo floated on a huge log searching for land, but none was to be found as the Earth was now covered by the great flood. Nanaboozhoo allowed the remaining animals and birds to take turns resting on the log as well. Finally, Nanaboozhoo spoke. "I am going to do something," he said. "I am going to swim to the bottom of this water and grab a handful of earth. With this small bit of Earth, I believe we can create a new land for us to live on with the help of the Four Winds and Kitchi-Manitou." 

So Nanaboozhoo dived into the water and was gone for a long time. Finally he surfaced, and short of breath told the animals that the water is too deep for him to swim to the bottom. All were silent. Finally, Mahng, the Loon spoke up. "I can dive under the water for a long way, that is how I catch my food. I will try to make it to the bottom and return with some Earth in my beak." The Loon disappeared and was gone for a very long time. Surely, thought the others, the Loon must have drowned. Then they saw him float to the surface, weak and nearly unconscious. "I couldn't make it, there must be no bottom to this water," he gasped. 

Then Zhing-gi-biss, the helldiver came forward and said "I will try next, everyone knows I can dive great distances." So the helldiver went under. Again, a very long time passed and the others thought he was surely drowned. At last he too floated to the surface. He was unconscious, and not till he came to could he relate to the others that he too was unable to fetch the Earth from the bottom. Many more animals tried but failed, including Zhon-gwayzh', the mink, and even Mi- zhee-kay", the turtle. 

All failed and it seemed as though there was no way to get the much needed Earth from the bottom. Then a soft muffled voice was heard. "I can do it," it spoke softly. At first no one could see who it was that spoke up. Then, the little Wa- zhushk", muskrat stepped forward. "I'll try," he repeated. Some of the other, bigger, more powerful animals laughed at muskrat. Nanaboozhoo spoke up. "Only Kitchi-Manitou can place judgment on others. If muskrat wants to try, he should be allowed to."  

So, muskrat dove into the water. He was gone much longer than any of the others who tried to reach the bottom. After a while Nanaboozhoo and the other animals were certain that muskrat had give his life trying to reach the bottom. Far below the water's surface, muskrat, had in fact reached the bottom. Very weak from lack of air, he grabbed some Earth in his paw and with all the energy he could muster began to swim for the surface. One of the animals spotted muskrat as he floated to the surface. 

Nanaboozhoo pulled him up onto the log. "Brothers and sisters," Nanaboozhoo said, "muskrat went too long without air, he is dead." A song of mourning and praise was heard across the water as muskrat's spirit passed on to the spirit world. Suddenly Nanaboozhoo exclaimed, "Look, there is something in his paw!" Nanaboozhoo carefully opened the tiny paw. All the animals gathered close to see what was held so tightly there. Muskrat's paw opened and revealed a small ball of Earth. The animals all shouted with joy. Muskrat sacrificed his life so that life on Earth could begin anew. 

Nanaboozhoo took the piece of Earth from Muskrat's paw. Just then, the turtle swam forward and said, "Use my back to bear the weight of this piece of Earth. With the help of Kitchi-Manitou, we can make a new Earth." Nanaboozhoo put the piece of Earth on the turtle's back. Suddenly, the wind blew from each of the Four Directions, The tiny piece of Earth on the turtle's back began to grow. It grew and grew and grew until it formed a mi- ni-si', or island in the water. The island grew larger and larger, but still the turtle bore the weight of the Earth on his back. 

Nanaboozhoo and the animals all sang and danced in a widening circle on the growing island. After a while, the Four Winds ceased to blow and the waters became still. A huge island sat in the middle of the water, and today that island is known as North America. 

Traditional Indian people, including the Ojibway, hold special reverence for the turtle who sacrificed his life and made life possible for the Earth's second people. To this day, the muskrat has been given a good life. No matter that marshes have been drained and their homes destroyed in the name of progress, the muskrat continues to survive and multiply. The muskrats do their part today in remembering the great flood; they build their homes in the shape of the little ball of Earth and the island that was formed from it.

Taken from: http://www.gct3.net/wp-cont…/uploads/…/01/creation_story.pdf

There was a world before this world, but the people in it did not know how to behave themselves or how to act human. The Creating Power was not pleased with that earlier world. He said to himself: “I will make a new world.” He had the pipe bag and the chief pipe, which he put on the pipe rack that he had made in the sacred manner. He took four dry buffalo chips, placed three of them under the three sticks, and saved the fourth one to light the pipe.

The Creating Power said to himself:“l will sing three songs, which will bring a heavy rain. Then I’ll sing a fourth song and stamp four times on the earth, and the earth will crack wide open. Water will come out of the cracks and cover the land.” When he sang the first song, it started to rain. When he sang the second, it poured. When he sang the third, the rain-swollen rivers overflowed their beds. But when he sang the fourth song and stamped on the earth, it split open in many places like a shattered gourd, and water flowed from the cracks until it covered everything.

The Creating Power floated on the sacred pipe and on his huge pipe bag. He let himself be carried by waves and wind this way and that, drifting for a long time. At last, the rain stopped, and by then all the people and animals had drowned. Only Kangi, the crow, survived, though it had no place to rest and was very tired. Flying above the pipe,“Tunkasllila, Grandfather, I must rest soon”; and three times the crow asked him to make a place for it to light.

The Creating Power thought: “It’s time to unwrap the pipe and open the pipe bag.” The wrapping and the bag contained all manner of animals and birds, from which he selected four animals known for their ability to stay under water for a long time. First, he sang a song and took the loon out of the bag. He commanded the loon to dive and bring up a lump of mud. The loon did dive, but it brought up nothing. “I dived and dived but couldn’t reach the bottom,” the loon said. “I almost died. The water is too deep.”

The Creating Power sang a second song and took the otter out of the bag. He ordered the otter to dive and bring up some mud. The sleek otter at once dived into the water, using its strong webbed feet to go down, down, down. It was submerged for a long time, but when it finally came to the surface, it brought nothing.

Taking the beaver out of the pipe’s wrapping, the Creating Power sang a third song. He commanded the beaver to go down deep below the water and bring some mud. The beaver thrust itself into the water, using its great flat tail to propel itself downward. It stayed under water longer than the others, but when it finally came up again, it too brought nothing.

At last the Creating Power sang the fourth song and took the turtle out of the bag. The turtle is very strong. Among our people it stands for long life and endurance and the power to survive. A turtle heart is great medicine, for it keeps on beating a long time after the turtle is dead. “You must bring the mud,” the Creating Power told the turtle. It dove into the water and stayed below so long that the other three animals shouted: “The turtle is dead; it will never come up again!”

All the time, the crow was flying around and begging for a place to light.

After what seemed to be eons, the turtle broke the surface of the water and paddled to the Creating Power. “I got to the bottom!” the turtle cried. “I brought some earth!” And sure enough, its feet and claws—even the space in the cracks on its sides between its upper and lower shell—were filled with mud.

Scooping mud from the turtle’s feet and sides, the Creating Power began to sing. He sang all the while that he shaped the mud in his hands and spread it on the water to make a spot of dry land for himself. When he had sung the fourth song, there was enough land for the Creating Power and for the crow.

“Come down and rest,” said the Creating Power to the crow, and the bird was glad to.

Then the Creating Power took from his bag two long wing feathers of the eagle. He waved them over his plot of ground and commanded it to spread until it covered everything. Soon all the water was replaced by earth. "Water without earth is not good," thought the Creating Power, "but land without water is not good either." Feeling pity for the land, he wept for the earth and the creatures he would put upon it, and his tears became oceans, streams and lakes. "That's better," he thought.

Out of his pipe bag, the Creating Power took all kinds of animals, birds, plants and scattered them over the land. When he stamped on the earth, they all came alive.

From the earth the Creating Power formed the shapes of men and women. He used red earth and white earth, black earth and yellow earth, and made as many as he thought would do for a start. He stamped on the earth, and the shapes came alive, each taking the color of the earth out of which it was made. The Creating Power gave all of them understanding and speech and told them what tribes they belonged to.

The Creating Power said to them: "The first world I made was bad; the creatures on it were bad. So I burned it up. The second world I made was bad too, so I drowned it. This is the third world I have made. Look: I have created a rainbow for you as a sign that there will be no more Great Flood. Whenever you see a rainbow, you will know that it has stopped raining."

The Creating Power continued: "Now, if you have learned how to behave like human beings and how to live in peace with each other and with the other living things—the two-legged, the four-legged, the man-legged, the fliers, the no-legs, the green plants of this universe—then all will be well. But if you make this world bad and ugly, then I will destroy this world too. It's up to you.”

The Creating Power gave the people the pipe. “Live by it,” he said. He named this land the Turtle Continent because it was there that the turtle came up with the mud out of which the third world was made.

“Someday there might be a fourth world,” the Creating Power thought. Then he rested.