Cherokee Creation Myth

The Creation Myth I chose to learn about is the Cherokee Creation Myth. I felt like I could relate the most to it because of my Cherokee heritage. My grandmother is 1/4 Cherokee. Her tribal family name was Oo-Tahlkee and they were from the mountains of North Carolina.

 

 

The Cherokee Native Americans lived in, and still live in the Southeastern United States, which includes mainly Georgia, eastern Tennessee and the Carolinas. In 1838 they were forced to move by foot, rail, or whatever other means of transportation they could find, to Oklahoma and live on the Reservation. This was called The Trail of Tears.

 

 

 

 

The following is the Cherokee Indian Creation Myth:

When Earth began there was no land, only Water. All of the animals lived in the sky. Soon it became over crowded and no one knew what was underneath the water, until one day Dayuni'si, the little water beetle offered to go beneath the water to explore. He searched all over for solid ground and even dove to the bottom of the water, but all he discovered was soft mud, eventually forming the island we call Earth today. The island was suspended by four strings, one at each of the cardinal points. When the island was created it was soft, flat and not livable for living creatures. The animals decided to send the great buzzard from Galun'lanti to prepare the land for them to live on. The buzzard flew down to earth, and by the time he arrived he was very tired. He was so tired that every time his wings flapped and hit the ground they created beautiful mountains and valleys. The Cherokee still believe that these mountains and valleys remain the same today. The animals then decided that it was too dark, so they made a sun and the same sun is still in the sky to this day. Man came after animals and plants. At first there was only a brother and a sister, until one day he struck her with a fish and told her to multiply. So it was! In seven days a child was born to her and thereafter every seven days. This continued until it became dangerous to the world that it would not keep up with them. Then it was made that a woman should only have one child per year and it has been so ever since. The END!

 

 

 

Although this presentation was not shared with the class, it was shared with Professor Sexson.