top of page
Native American Creation Narratives
This portal was curated by:
​

NATIVE AMERICAN CREATION NARRATIVES

Each Native American tribe has its own story of its origin. While scientists believe Native Americans originated in Asia and came to the Americas via a land bridge between modern day Russia and Alaska, a second theory posits that ancient Asians came to the Americas by boat, traversing the Pacific coast. Regardless, these two theories are rooted in scientific discovery, while Native American origin stories are rooted in legend. Passed down orally from generation to generation. Although from different corners of the continent, Iroquois, Yakama and Cherokee tribal origin stories are in fact, similar.
DATABASES
Each Native American tribe has its own story of its origin. While scientists believe Native Americans originated in Asia and came to the Americas via a land bridge between modern day Russia and Alaska, a second theory posits that ancient Asians came to the Americas by boat, traversing the Pacific coast. Regardless, these two theories are rooted in scientific discovery, while Native American origin stories are rooted in legend. Passed down orally from generation to generation. Although from different corners of the continent, Iroquois, Yakama and Cherokee tribal origin stories are in fact, similar.
*World Parent Myths: Comparison of Huron, Inuit, and Cree creation myths. *Abenaki Creation Story * Gluskonba Makes the People * Kloskurbeh and the Abanaki: Abenaki Indian creation myths. *Micmac Creation Myth * Creation of the World According to the Mi’gmaq * Mi'kmaq Creation: Mi'kmaw Creation Story * Mi'kmaq Creation Myth: Micmac origin myths. *Creation of the World * History of the Anishinaabek * Wenebojo Creates the Earth * Manabozho and the Muskrat * Nanabozho and the Origin of the Earth * Waynaboozhoo and the Great Flood: Different versions of the Anishinaabe Native American creation story. *Achomawi Creation Myth * Creation and Longevity: Achumawi Indian creation myths. *The Lenapé Creation Story * Lenape Creation Web: Lenape myths about the creation of the world. *Nipmuc Creation Story: Nipmuc legend about the Muskrat helping the Great Spirit to create the earth. *The Sun Dance Wheel * Arapaho Story of Creation: Arapaho creation myths. The Creation of the World: The Gros Ventre creation myth. *The Beginning of the Cree World: Cree creation myth. *Grandmother's Creation Story: Another Cree myth of creation, this one about the relationship between the first animals and humans. *Blackfeet Creation Tale * How The Old Man Made People: Two version of the Blackfoot myth about the creation of the world. *Great Medicine Makes a Beautiful Country: The Cheyenne creation myth. *Achomawi Creation Myth * Atsugewi Creation Story * Creation and Longevity: California Indian stories of the creation of the world by Silver-Fox and Coyote. *Dotson'Sa, Great Raven Makes The World: Athabaskan legend about Raven's creation of the earth. *Iroquois Creation Myth: Cayuga myths about Sky Woman and the creation of the earth. *Mother Corn and the Beginning * Arikara Creation Myth: Arikara legends abou the origin of the world. *Aztec Creation Story: Aztec myth about the creation of the world. *Mexican Ideas of the Creation: Origin myths of the Toltec, Mixtec, Zapotec, and Aztec civilizations. *The Creation And Early Migrations: Caddo myths about the origin of the world and the first chief, Moon. *The Well-Baked Man * A Potawatomi Creation Story: Native American stories about the Great Spirit's creation of different races. (Note that our volunteers believe that these stories are intended as humorous tales, not serious creation myths. But other Native people may feel differently.)
Where did we come from? Ideas and theories about the beginning of the world run the gamut, with different cultures, groups, and religions offering creation stories or myths, and explanations of how different parts of the world came to be. Perhaps one of the most fascinating of these groups is the Native Americans. Across the board, Native American cultures offer many creation legends, many of which involve sacred caves or underground tunnels. As we explore the stories offered by Native Americans as to the beginnings of everything, we also wind deeper into the Earth itself.
There is no single mythology of the Indigenous North American peoples, but numerous different canons of traditional narratives associated with religion, ethics and beliefs.[1] Such stories are deeply based in Nature and are rich with the symbolism of seasons, weather, plants, animals, earth, water, fire, sky, and the heavenly bodies. Common elements are the principle of an all-embracing, universal and omniscient Great Spirit, a connection to the Earth and its landscapes, a belief in a parallel world in the sky (sometimes also underground and/or below the water), diverse creation narratives, visits to the 'land of the dead', and collective memories of ancient sacred ancestors. A characteristic of many of the myths is the close relationship between human beings and animals (including birds and reptiles). They often feature shape-shifting between animal and the human form. Marriage between people and different species (particularly bears) is a common theme. In some stories, animals foster human children. Although most Native North American myths are profound and serious, some use light-hearted humor – often in the form of tricksters – to entertain, as they subtly convey important spiritual and moral messages. The use of allegory is common, exploring issues ranging from love and friendship to domestic violence and mental illness. Some myths are connected to traditional religious rituals involving dance, music, songs, and trance (e.g. the sun dance). Most of the myths from this region were first transcribed by ethnologists during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These sources were collected from Native American elders who still had strong connections to the traditions of their ancestors. They may be considered the most authentic surviving records of the ancient stories, and thus form the basis of the descriptions below.[2]
Visit our special guest curator
"Open Database..."
Related Portals:
 
Related Portals:
 
bottom of page