The Ojibway Creation Story

The Ojibway Creation Story

Canada

Indigenous legal order

Indigenous law

Indigenous land

Oral tradition

Story telling

From the First Nation Literacy YouTube page:

"Long ago, after the Great Mystery, or Kitchi-Manitou, first put people on the earth, the Anishinabe, or Original People, strayed from their peaceful ways. They began to argue and fight with one another. Brother turned against brother and soon the Anishinabe were killing one another over hunting grounds and other things. Seeing that harmony and respect for all living things no longer existed on Earth, Kitchi-Manitou decided to purify the Earth."

Based on the traditional Ojibway Creation Story, published by Ningwakwe Learning Press

"Fire and Water: Ojibway Teachings and Today's Duties", Ningwakwe Learning Press, 2011

Ningwakwe Learning Press, 2011

2011

Credit: Ningwakwe Learning Press, 2011

Streaming video

English

Streaming Video

The Ojibway Creation Story

YouTube

0:07:13

First Nation Literacy Press

0:06the Anishinaabe or original people straight peaceful ways begin to argue
0:12and fight one another
0:14brother turned against brother and soon the additional be
0:18we're killing one another over hunting grounds and other things
0:23seeing that harmony and respect for all living things
0:26no longer existed on earth creator to send it to purify the earth
0:31he did this with water the water came in the form of the Great Flood this water
0:38fell upon the earth killed the Anishinaabe people and most of the
0:42animals as well only Nana Bush central figure in many of the initial be oral
0:49traditions
0:51i was able to survive the flood
0:53along with a few animals and birds managed to swim and fly that was floated
0:59on a huge search the land
1:02no land was found the earth was now covered by the great flood and a bush
1:08allowed the remaining animals and birds to take turns
1:12resting on the blog as well finally animal spoke
1:17I'm going to do something he said
1:21I'm going to swim to the bottom of this water
1:24grab a handful of Earth
1:27with this small bit of Earth I believe we can create a new land for us to live
1:32on with the help of the four winds and the Creator so mad a bush drove into the
1:41water was gone for a long
1:44finally he surfaced and told the animals that the water is too deep and swim to
1:49the bottom
1:51all were silent the ruling split test rankings value on the water for a long
1:58time
2:00that is how we catch my food i will try to make it to the bottom in return
2:05sometimes it seems like each the loan disappears was gone for a long time .
2:12about the others
2:14balloon must have drowned then they saw him close to the surface week and nearly
2:21unconscious
2:22I couldn't make it must be your bottom to this water he gasps and what the hell
2:29do I came forward to it
2:31i will try next everyone
2:33great distances
2:36so they held every we're not this again
2:39a very long time
2:40test and others thought he had sure the ground
2:44at last he to floated to the surface and was unconscious
2:49and not tell he came to could he relate to the others that he too was unable to
2:55fetch the earth from the bottom
2:58yeah
3:00many more animals tried but failed
3:04even the turtle all filled that scene
3:09as though there was no way to get much-needed Earth from the bottom
3:14then a soft muffled voice was heard
3:17I can do it it's books my lovely at first no one could see who it was that
3:23spoke up
3:24then a little muskrat step forward I'll try to repeat it
3:30some of the other bigger more powerful animals laugh at us grant animal spoke
3:37up
3:37only the Creator can please judgment of others
3:41if the Muskrat wants to try he should be allowed to
3:45so muskrat filled into the water
3:49she was gone much longer than the others
3:52I tried to reach the problem after a while and a bush the other animals were
3:58certain that the Muskrat given his life trying to reach the bottom far below the
4:04water's surface must grab and in fact reached very weak from lack of air and
4:13crabs earth is palm
4:15and with all the energy could muster began to swim to the surface
4:21one of the animals on it described as he floated to the surface and a bush pulled
4:27him onto the log brothers and sisters and a bush said must grant went too long
4:34without air and whose did
4:37a song the morning and praise was heard across the water
4:41its mustard spirit passed on to the spirit world suddenly in a bush
4:46exclaimed look
4:49there is something in his palm
4:52Nana was carefully opened the tiny palm
4:56all the animals gathered close to see what was held still take me there
5:00muskrats Paul opened revealed a small ball of Earth
5:06the animals all show you the joy
5:09muskrat sacrificed his life so that life on earth could begin
5:15Nana bush took the piece of Earth from us grandpas
5:22just then the turtle swam forward and said
5:26use my back to bear the weight
5:28this piece of Earth
5:30with the help of the creator
5:33newer
5:34animals put the piece of Earth on
5:37turtles mac
5:39suddenly
5:40the wind blew from each of the four directions
5:43the tiny piece of Earth on the turtle's back again to grow
5:48GRU
5:49Thank crew
5:51until it
5:51and I'm and
5:53water
5:54the island grew larger
5:56larger
5:57but still the turtle
5:58for the weight of the earth
6:00its back
6:01mana Bush the animals all saying
6:04danced
6:06white circle
6:07to grow and I
6:10after a while for wind ceased blow
6:13waters became still
6:15a huge island sat in the middle of the water and today that I on is known as
6:22North America the old you play old special reverence for the turtle who
6:28sacrificed his life
6:30that made life possible for the earth second people to this day the must grant
6:35has been given a good life no matter that the marshes have been drained in
6:41their homes destroyed in the name of progress a muskrat continues to survive
6:47and multiply the muskrats do their part today and remember in the Great Flood
6:53they build their homes in the shape of the little ball of Earth in the island
6:59that was formed from it