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This is a creation story of the Native Americans of the Ottawa Society. Think about how it compares to other creation stories, both Native American and European. You might want to look at two other creation myths, that of the Indians of the New Netherlands and of the Sioux. Pay close attention to the role of women in the story.
After the creation of the earth, all the other animals withdrew into the places which each kind found most suitable for obtaining therein their pasture or their prey. When the first ones died, the Great Hare caused the birth of man from their corpses, as also from those of the fishes which were found along the shores of the rivers which he had formed in creating the land. Accordingly, some of the savages derive their origin from a bear, others from a moose, and others similarly from various kinds of animals; and before they had intercourse with the Europeans they firmly believed this, persuaded that they had their being from those kinds of creatures whose origin was as above explained. Even today [ca. 1720] that notion passes among them for undoubted truth, and if there are any of them at this time who are weaned from believing this dream, it has been only by dint of laughing at them for so ridiculous a belief. You will hear them say that their villages each bear the name of the animal which has given its people their being—as that of the crane, or the bear, or of other animals. They imagine that they were created by other divinities than those which we recognize, because we have many inventions which they do not possess, as the art of writing, shooting with a gun, making gunpowder, muskets, and other things which are used by [civilized] mankind.
Those first men who formed the human race, being scattered in different parts of the land, found out that they had minds. They beheld here and there buffaloes, elks, and deer, all kinds of birds and animals, and many rivers abounding in fish. These first men, I say, whom hunger had weakened, inspired by the Great Hare with an intuitive idea, broke off a branch from a small tree, made a cord with the fibers of the nettle, scraped the bark from a piece of a bough with a sharp stone, and armed its end with another sharp stone, to serve them as an arrow; and thus they formed a bow [and arrows] with which they killed small birds. After that, they made viretons [crossbow arrows], in order to attack the large beasts; they skinned these, and tried to eat the flesh. But as they found only the fat savory, they tried to make fire, in order to cook their meat; and, trying to get it, they took for that purpose hard wood, but without success; and [finally] they used softer wood, which yielded them fire. The skins of the animals served for their covering. As hunting is not practicable in the winter on account of the deep snows, they invented a sort of racket [snowshoe], in order to walk on this with more ease; and they constructed canoes, in order to enable them to cross the rivers. |
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1. According to the Ottawa, how was humankind created?
2. Give an example of how the Ottawa learned to survive by adapting to their environment.
3. Explain how the Ottawa viewed the role of women in their society.
4. Compare and contrast the Ottawa creation story with that of the biblical creation beliefs of the Europeans they encountered.
Curriculum Materials: World Mythology: Native American Mythology
The Minneapolis Institute of the Arts maintains a rich, varied, and one of the most useful sites for educators of which this part is an excellent example
AADIZOOKAANAG : Traditional Stories, Legends and Myths
A rich but design-challenged site containing a variety of Native American myths, legends, and stories as well as materials pertaining to misuse and abuse of Native American |
