The following 5 stories are Indigenous Myths (Aboriginal)
You will need to read each story and answer these questions;
- Briefly explain the story
- How are the aboriginal stories rooted in aboriginal culture?
- What morals and principles do the stories promote? Answer by referring to specific quotes in the story.
- How does the story relate to modern times? Give concrete examples.
The 4 indigenous myths are;
- Why mouse is so small
- TWO FINNED WHALE :Tsimshian Nation- Northwest Coast
- How Turtle Island Was Created
- The Fire, the Flood and the Creation of the World
- The Origin of Disease and Medicine: North American Cherokee
Formalities:
- Don’t write more than four points for each questions, but not less than two points.
- Identify varied identities and view of Indigenous Peoples and the importance of interconnection of family, relationships, relationships, language, culture and land.
- Compare and contrast continuities and change for different groups in different periods of times and places.
Why mouse is so small
Once, a very long time ago, when Raven was at his busiest helping Manitou build the world, he went to a potlatch with Eagle, Gull, Owl and a lot of other birds and animals, large and small. The topic that became the main theme of the potlatch was about why everything came in different sizes.
“I like them small”, said Owl when it was his turn to take the Talking Stick, “because it helps me to eat and swallow.” All the smaller creatures shivered and hid under bushes, peeping out from time to time to see if Owl had reached his hungry stage.
Gull stood up and said, “Same here. Clams and small fish suit me just fine.”
Eagle took the Talking Stick from Gull. “I can handle middle sizes well. But sometimes I catch a big salmon in my big talons and do my best not to drop it anywhere near Bear.” The others laughed and Bear chuckled good-naturedly.
Then suddenly there was a squeak from nearby. Mouse, quivering with fear, crept out from under her safe bush and said, “I have s-s-something to s-s-say.” She glanced
fearfully up at Owl.
“Say on, Brother Mouse”, said Raven magnanimously. “Today is a special day and we will not give you away in the potlatch!” Everybody rocked with friendly laughter. .
“Well”, said Mouse, venturing a little further into the circle. Eagle gently laid the
Talking Stick in front of Mouse because everyone knows that a little mouse has her limitations when it comes to holding up things. “I am small and all of you are big and it seems to me that there is a plan behind that matter. It has to do with the nature of each of us. Like Rabbit, I am easily frightened, so much so that both of us can die from
fright. But, do you not think that this is a thing for you to see and understand? I don’t think Rabbit agrees with me, but I keep getting a feeling that my timidity and my smallness, being a part of my nature given to me by Manitou, means that I must recognize my mission. in the world.”
“And, what is that, Miss?” enquired Owl curiously.
“To provide sustenance for you, Brother”, replied Mouse very quietly. “You were made to live on such as me, just as Eagle was made to live on fish as well as small land creatures and Gull was given the ability to open clams for his meal.”
Everyone remained silent contemplating the words of Mouse. For once, even Raven was quiet and thoughtful. Presently, Raven spoke: “We have learned a lesson today”, he said, looking around at the assembly. “A lesson in humility. Let us never forget to think of this when we go back to our everyday life. Let us sing a song to Manitou in which we say our thanks, not only for this lesson, but in praise of the courage of Mouse and all other small creatures made with love by , Manitou.”
They all stood up and began to dance the dance of thanksgiving, circle within circle,
smaller creatures within and greater ones without. That day they fasted and sang and
danced until the sun went down.
TWO FINNED WHALE :Tsimshian Nation- Northwest Coast
It is often said that orcas were once land-based animals because their culture was so close to that of the wolf. Orcas travel in groups and protect and look after each others’ young. They teach by singing their world to their young. It has even been said that the orca was once a snow white wolf, but when the Creator decided that the snow white wolf should go below the great waters and become a whale, Creator left some white markings in order to remind whale of its original world. When Orca surfaces to
breathe, this is also a reminder of its original origin. Orca comes to the surface and blows air through its blowhole. This sound calls to its ‘land-based family, the wolves, who howl back recognition of their kin.
As Orca descended into the ocean, Creator gave some of them the responsibility of recording and carrying the history of the world. These special orcas were given two fins. One fin was used to hold the knowledge of the world; the other fin was part of Orca’s physical body.
These two-finned whales were also given a special song that they sang when they were called to speak of Mother Earth’s history. This song could be heard across the waters great and small. All life below the waters would dance to the sound; the animals of the world would respond with their own songs; the Standing People (trees) would sway and stretch their branches toward the water; as Orca surfaced, the great west wind would come and assist in carrying the knowledge to all parts of Mother Earth; the thunder beings would roll the same message across Grandfather Sky: “We are one People. All living things must live as one People. Heya-Ho.”
How Turtle Island Was Created :(Onendaga Legend)
One day the Ancient Chief of Sky Land and his wife were looking at the Sacred Tree. It was a great and beautiful tree with four white roots that spread in each direction. Wondrous fruits and flowers grew upon this tree. The Ancient Chief’s wife told him of her dream. She had dreamt that the Sacred Tree had left a very large hole when it had been uprooted. The Ancient Chief acknowledged that this was indeed a significant dream. He was sad, but in order to honour such a powerful dream he decreed that the Tree had to be uprooted. He called together all the young men of Sky Land, who assembled and individually, and in groups, tried to uproot the tree. They were unsuccessful. The Ancient Chief then came to the tree and wrapping his arms around it he gave a mighty pull. The Sacred Tree wouldn’t budge. He then gathered all his strength and with one great heave, the tree gave way, leaving a huge hole just as his wife had dreamt.
Hanging onto one of the branches of the Tree the Ancient Chief’s wife leaned over to look in the hole. She saw a world covered with water. As she leaned further into the hole to get a better look, she lost her balance and fell through.
Meanwhile below, the life that could survive in water were meeting together. Fish, Swan, Turtle, Duck, Beaver, Muskrat, Otter and Whale were all there. Suddenly, Beaver looked up and saw the woman falling towards them. The animals became very excited and worried because if she fell into the water then surely she would drown. Quickly two swans spread their wings and flew up toward the woman, catching her.
In the meantime the remaining animals were quickly trying to decide what to do. The woman couldn’t stay with the swans forever. They decided that they would dive down under the water and see if they could bring some earth to the surface. Beaver volunteered to go first, and try as he might, he could not dive deep enough. Otter, Whale and the Fish in the water then each tried but to no avail. They simply couldn’t get down far enough to scoop up some earth. Little Muskrat raised her timid little paw and said quietly, “I think I can dive deep enough.” The other animals were skeptical because she was such a little creature, but were too exhausted to say anything other than to wave weakly at her to give it a try.
Muskrat took a deep breath and dove down into the water, deeper than the other animals had gone. But, sadly, it was not deep enough. Time and time again she tried, each time getting a little closer but unable to scoop a little earth. She too became very tired but decided that she had enough energy to try one more time.
Slowly she swam in a circle and then with one mighty breath dove below the waves, down, down, deeper and deeper she went until she reached the bottom. She was able to scoop up a little bit of earth. She floated to the surface half dead from exhaustion, but still clutching the little pile of earth.
Where to put the earth was the next question, “Here” said Turtle, “I have a broad back, put it on me.” As Muskrat placed the earth on the back of Turtle it started to grow until it was big enough for the swans to put the woman down. The land continued to grow until it covered a huge area. As she stepped onto the firm earth, the woman let go of the handful of seeds that she had been holding from the Sacred Tree. Just before she had fallen through the hole, the seeds from the branch of the Tree had fallen into her hand. Grass sprang to life on the new earth and life on “Turtle Island” began.
The Fire, the Flood and the Creation of the World
Sunni White Bear Navo related this story to Sven Liljeblad in 1941, in the Bannock language, and Professor Liljeblad translated it. The Algonquin tribes and the Siouan tribes also related origin myths about the “earth-diver,” as did the Hurons, the Iroquois, and other North American Native Peoples. Toad, Turtle, Muskrat, Beaver, Duck, and Mink are among the successful “earth-divers.”
A long time ago this earth was made. Nobody knows when, but there is a story about it. A Father was on this earth. When he was here, the earth was on fire. He had a wife who stood at his left side. Their son stood at his right side. When the earth was burning, they walked among the flames.
As they were walking, the Father said to his wife and to his son, “Don’t look back at the fire. No matter if it is burning your heels, don’t look back.”
Right behind them the flames made a roaring, and the fire was ready to catch in their skirts. The woman felt it. She looked behind her and was immediately turned into stone. She was turned into stone because she had done what the Father had told her not to do.
He had a walking stick. Wherever he and his son walked, he put his walking stick on the ground ahead of them. There the flames went out, and so the Father and his son could pass through the fire. Everything around them was burning, the whole earth. But, because of the walking stick, they could travel around.
Behind the fire came the water. Soon it flooded the whole earth. Everything was covered by water, even the mountains. The Father and his son made themselves very small, so that they could ride on the foam on top of the water. There they remained for a long time, on the water foam.
Thinking about the earth where he had lived. The father knew he would like to have it back again. He used to wonder, “How can I get the earth back again?”
For many years the water stayed like that. At last the father knew that it would not go down or dry up. He stayed there on the water-foam another winter. During that time, they lived on the water, the Father made his son part of himself. Now they could get the earth back again.
“How can I help?” he wondered.
He thought on the water-people. “I could ask them to help me get earth,” he said to himself. “They must be somewhere around here.”
Then he called out, “Water-people, where are you? Come. Let us smoke and hold council.”
Beaver came when he heard the call. “Are you good at diving in the water?” asked the father.
“I am not a good diver. This water is too much for me. I have a younger brother. He could. He is a good diver.
So, the father called out again. “Where are you, water-people?” Come. Let us smoke and hold council.”
Muskrat came and the four smoked together. They held council. Then they said to Muskrat, “You dive to the bottom of the water and bring up earth.”
“I will,” he replied. “I will go now, at once.”
And then he dove off of the water-foam, where they were all sitting. The three waited for Muskrat to come up. They waited, and they waited. When they were just about to give up, they saw his body coming up to the top of the water. He was bloated with water. He had drowned.
They pulled him up on the foam, and the father made him come to life again. Under Muskrat’s nails, they found bits of mud. The father took these bits of mud and formed them into a ball.
“You did get earth,” he said to Muskrat.
Then the father began to roll the ball of earth in his hands, to and fro. Then he would stretch it, and then roll it into a ball again. Then he would flatten it between his hands. He did that again and again, and the earth-ball got bigger and bigger. The bigger it got, the harder it was for him to work with it. He would stop and look at it and he would say, “It is too small yet.”
So, he would work at it again. He stretched it, he rolled it, he flattened it between his hands. When it got very large, and he had flattened it out, he spread it over the top of the water. Then he began to make hills and mountains on his earth. Later, he made springs and rivers beside these mountains. Later still, he made different kinds of trees and flowers to grow around the springs and on the mountains. He also made different kinds of animals and birds.
After the father had finished making all this, he made the earth so that it would turn. He made it turn to the shady side and it got winter. He made it turn to the sunny side and it got summer.
The Origin of Disease and Medicine :North American Cherokee
In the earliest days of the world, animals could talk, and they lived in harmony with human beings. But as the centuries went on, humans multiplied and spread over the land, destroying not only the homes of animals, but also the animals themselves. For humans invented spears and blow guns and knives and bows and arrows to kill animals for their flesh and hides and feathers; and they invented hooks with which to catch and kill fish.
The Bears especially became victims of the humans’ bows and arrows. And so they held a council to find a way to protect themselves. They decided finally that they, too, would make bows and arrows. With these, the bears would go to war against humans. But this was easier said than done. The bears could fell a tree and make bows and arrows from the wood alright. There was even a bear who was willing to sacrifice himself so that bowstrings could be made from his entrails. But when it came to actually using the bow, the bears’ long claws got in the way.
“We must cut off our claws so that we can use our new weapons”, said one bear. But their leader, the great White Bear, objected to this.
“Without our claws, we cannot dig for food or climb trees to escape our enemies,” said White Bear. “Better that we should give up this bow and arrow idea and go on relying on our claws and teeth in attempt to save ourselves from our human enemies.”
The deer, too, held a council with their chief, Little Deer. They finally agreed that there was no way they could escape the killing power of humans. But they also agreed that any hunter who killed a deer must immediately ask the deer’s pardon and say a prayer of thankfulness. For after all, it was the fallen deer who gave humans flesh for food, hides for clothing, and bones for tools.
Little Deer, who is swift as the wind and can never be killed, said, “When one of our Deer tribe is killed,
I shall run to the place where she or he has fallen and ask her or his spirit, ‘Has the hunter asked for pardon for this deed, and spoken his thanks?’ If the answer is ‘No,’ shall follow the hunter to his cabin and strike him with rheumatism, so that he shall become crippled.”
So it is that we humans ask forgiveness of the deer we kill.
After this, every tribe of animals that walk or crawl, swim or fly met to discuss the cruelty with which humans treated them and to find ways to punish them. Snakes and fish would send such nightmares to humans that they would lose their appetites and sicken and die. Birds, whom humans caught and roasted on spits over a fire, invented other diseases with which to afflict humans. In the end, almost every animal, even the insects, had invented a special illness to punish the people who made their lives miserable.
If the animals had had their way, perhaps all humans on earth would be dead by now. But humans were saved by the Plants, who are friendly to humankind and did not wish to see them wiped off the earth. The Plants, too, held a council; and every kind of plant -trees, shrubs, grasses, moss, herbs, weeds, flowers -became a source of medicine. For each disease humans brought on themselves through their cruel and thoughtless acts toward animals, there was a plant that could cure the disease.
It has been up to humans, of course, to find the plant that will cure a specific disease. If we are not sure which medicinal plant to use or how to use it, then we must ask the spirit of the plant to tell us.
