Compare And Contrast Native American Creation Myths

Native Americans’ Creation Myths

Each culture has its own story about world’s creation. They have several major similarities, like the basic influence of a strong supernatural force, that intruded to a total chaos and created the land, animals, humans and other parts of the environment. But the set of differences makes each myth almost unique. It happens even with people that shared the same continent like Native Americans. This essay will focus on two tribes – Abenaki and Papago. Their Creation Myths can help to understand people’s relations with nature and each other.

Abenaki’s story starts with the absolute emptiness (or even vacuum) and the Great Spirit who slowly became dissatisfied because of this situation and decided to change it. He

The first child was born on these conditions with the aid of unmentioned processes. This creature (the First Born) made termites that helped him to gather algae as a source for the future earth. He also created plants and animals and discussed with them he necessity of appearance of sun and moon. Then the First born left and was replaced by I'itoi the Elder Brother, Coyote and Buzzard. They created people and presented them “the "crimson evening," which is regarded by the Tohono O'odham as one of the most beautiful sights in the region” (“A Papago Legend”). Supernatural beings also told the tribe to stay in the region, and people

There were Eastern and Western Abenaki. The first lived in the territory of Maine and second occupied parts of Vermont, Ontario and Quebec. Both parts of the tribe depended up rivers; they built houses along waterways; fish and other water fauna was the main part of their sources of food. It can explain myth’s focus on the water and its habitants. It was a turtle who became a basis for the land, and the beaver was the first creature the Great Spirit saw after his dream. The myth’s attention to dreams reflects the tribe’s religion. The Vision Quest was a traditional ceremony for young Abenaki men. They looked for their guardian spirits, which could appear in a dream or a vision after a fast and other rituals. The most part of characters in the myth are males (there are doubts about the turtle as it is often presented as a female creature). It shows men played the key role in the life of Abenaki tribes. They brought most part of food during fishing or hunting, while women were involved in the foraging and household activities. Abenaki’s creation myth showed they preferred a “passive”, nonaggressive approach. This altitude reflected in child-rearing practices. Abenali people “rarely raised voices to scold [their children]” (Landau 25). They also did not practice physical punishments. Instead parents disciplined their children with the aid of continual repeating of tribe tales and creating of a good role