Native American Legends
The Creation Story
A Papago Legend
Long ago, they say, when the Earth was not yet finished, darkness
lay upon the water and they rubbed each other. The sound they made
was like the sound at the edge of a pond.
There, on the water, in the darkness, in the noise, and in a very
strong wind, a child was born. One day he got up and found something
stuck to him. It was algae. So he took some of the algae and from
it made the termites. The termites gathered a lot of algae and First
Born tried to decide how to make a seat so the wind could not blow
it anywhere. This is the song he sang:
Earth Medicine Man finished the Earth.
Come near and see it and do something to it.
He made it round.
Come near and see it and do something to it.
In this way, First Born finished the Earth. Then he made all animal
life and plant life.
There was neither sun nor moon then, and it was always dark. The
living things didn't like the darkness, so they got together and
told First Born to make something so that the Earth would have light.
Then the people would be able to see each other and live contentedly
with each other.
So First Born said, "All right. You name what will come up
in the Sky to give you light."
They discussed it thoroughly and finally agreed that it would be
named "sun".
Next First Born made the moon and stars, and the paths that they
always follow. He said, "There will be plenty of prickly pears
and the people will always be happy."
That's the way First Born prepared the Earth for us. Then he went
away.
Then the Sky came down and met the Earth, and the first one to
come forth was I'itoi, our Elder Brother.
The Sky met the Earth again, and Coyote came forth.
The Sky met the Earth again, and Buzzard came forth.
Elder Brother, Earth Magician, and Coyote began their work of creation,
each creating things different from the other. Elder Brother created
people out of clay and gave then the "crimson evening,"
which is regarded by the Tohono O'odham as one of the most beautiful
sights in the region. The sunset light is reflected on the mountains
with a peculiar radiance.
Elder Brother told the Tohono O'odham to remain where they were
in that land which is the center of all things.
And there the desert people have always lived. They are living
there this very day. And from his home among the towering cliffs
and crags of Baboquivari, the lonely, cloud-veiled peak, their Elder
Brother, I'itoi, spirit of goodness, who must dwell in the center
of all things, watches over them.
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