Literary analysis of Native American myths emphasize a bond with nature

The aspect of legends is a key part of the Native American or the Indian American history . These stories were told and handed down from generation to generation to better explain certain phenomena that Indian Americans at the time considered to be strange . In most instances , these tales were told in relation to the things that happened around the various Indian American tribes . Among these legends were the plant animal and creation myth . This essay therefore seeks to examine the relationship between Indian American myths and nature

Long ago , before there were

ant people , the world was young and water covered everything . The earth was a great island floating above the seas , suspended by four rawhide ropes representing the four sacred directions . It hung down from the crystal sky . There were no people , but the animals lined in a home above the rainbow . Needing space , they sent Water Beetle to search for room under the seas . Water Beetle dove down deep and brought up mud that spread quickly , turning into land that was flat and too soft and wet for the animals to live on (Andrews 1988 :196 ) Grandfather Buzzard was sent to see if the land hardened When he flew over the earth , he found the mud had become solid he flapped in for a closer look . The wind from his wings created valleys and mountains , and flat is why the Cherokee territory has so many mountains today (Andrews 1988 :196

As the earth stiffened , the animals came down from the rainbow . It was still dark . They needed light , so they pulled the sun out from behind the rainbow , but it was too bright and hot . A solution was urgently needed . The Shamans were told to place the sun higher in the sky . A path was made for it to travel from east to west so that all inhabitants could share in the light . The plants were placed upon the earth . The Creator told the plants and animals to stay awake for seven days and seven nights (Andrews 1988 :196 ) Only a few animals managed to do so including the owls and mountain lions , and they were rewarded with the power to see in the dark . Among the plants only the cedars , spruces , and pines remained awake . The Creator told these plants that they would keep their hair during the winter , while the other plants would lose theirs People were created last . The women were able to have babies every seven days . They reproduced so quickly that the Creator feared the world would soon become too crowded . So after that the women could have only one child per year , and it has been that way ever since

Looking at the Native American myths of creation we see that , the basic premises of Native American creation mythology are intertwined with the natural world and frequently include animals that act as creators messengers , protectors , guardians , and advisers (Andrews , 1988 :196 They were often thought to possess human qualities and had the...