Emergence Creation Myth

Reagan Campbell

August 2012

The Emergence Creation Myth

Similar to a common trait of Native American literature, the short myth, “The Emergence” is a story about not ordinary people, but very human-like animals traveling through the 4 worlds. This myth was a journey traveled by the dragonflies, bees, flies, ants, locusts, and ants. These insects faced obstacles, teaching them life lessons throughout the story. For example, the insects were originally surrounded by fire, and came up with the solution to make wings so they could fly toward the “roof of the world”. While collecting corn ears, a gust of wind comes and transforms two ears of corn into the people. (pg 499) The myth says this is how the people came to be in the “3^rd World”. The number 4 reoccurs multiple times throughout this myth, just like Native American literature. For example, when the insects first leave, they face their first obstacle; the 4 birds (pg 499). Next, 4 gods are introduced. These 4 gods stay for a total of 4 days in the Yellow World (pg 499-500). Stated on page 500, an insect says: “First People sent messages to the 4 corners of the Yellow World”. Again, a reference to the number 4 representing North, South, East, and West is made again. Lastly, just like Native American myths, the myth “The Emergence” gives a life lesson, or moral. The moral of this story is to show how honesty, unity, trust and communication are 4 essential parts to any human beings life.

Sedna Creation Myth

Reagan Baylee Campbell

September 2012

Sedna Creation Myth

The Sedna Myth relates to the Secretion Myth. When Sedna is attempting to hold onto the boat, her father chops off her fingers. One joint at a time her fingertips fall into the waters. The first joint/nail turns into whales. The second set of joints turns into ringed-seals, the next into ground seals and lastly the numbs/thumbs turn into walrus’. This is an example of Secretion Myth because as a result of Sedna losing her body parts, animals or new “life” is born/created. “Sedna’s father crazed by his own fears, took his sharp fishing knife and cut off Sedna’s fingers from her nails down to the first joint. As her fingertips fell into the waves, her nails became whalebone and her flesh became whales.” (Page 3)

Chelan Creation Myth

Reagan Campbell

September 2012

Creation Myth- “Chelan Creation of First Indians”

            The Chelan myth relates to two types of creation myths: Secretion and Dues Faber Myths. Firstly, the Chelan Creation Story relates to Secretion Myths because after the Youngest Wolf Brother kills the Beaver, he can only cut it into 11 pieces, when the Creator told him he needed to cut it into 12. The Youngest Wolf Brother decides to take the blood from the Beaver and use that as the 12^th component. From all the Beaver’s body parts different tribes are born and created. “ He had killed Beaver and was carrying it. “You remember that the Creator told us to cut it into twelve pieces,” said Youngest Brother to the animal people. But he could oly divide it into eleven pieces.” (Page 3) Lastly, from the blood of the Beaver the Blackfeet tribe is born. The Chelan Creation Story also relates to Dues Faber Myths because it features the Creator, who designs and creates the earth/world. According to the Chelan story, the Creator, or Great Chief Above, created the world. “Long, long ago, the Creator, the Great Chief Above, made the world.” (Page 1)

Caught By A Hairstring

Reagan Baylee Campbell

August 28^th 2012

“Caught by a Hairstring”

            This myth has several morals and themes. The moral of the story talks about abusing your power, using your power the right way, and changing the way people look at you. In the myth the young man is perceived as a lazy husband. He becomes a great huntsman and fisherman changing peoples view on him. This myth links back to Native American myths because of the repetition used. Two times the old lady (grandma) is introduced in the woods by tying her hair into a bun and leaving the strands out. “Take this beaded hair string.” (Page 2) This quote represents the symbolic hair string passed down from the grandmother. This also represents the importance of children. The hair string could be symbolic for the cycle of family, or the passing down from generation to generation. When the young man and beautiful daughter meet in the woods, this shows sense of direction, a common theme in Native American myths. “The chief’s son was not surprised when he suddenly came upon the elder of the two beautiful, shy sisters walking all along in the woods.” (Page 4)

Racism in Avatar

Reagan Campbell

September 12^th, 2012

Racism in Avatar

            Courtland Milloy, the author of the article: “’Avatar is a part of important discussion about race”, states in the movie Avatar, there is more to the plot than just a former Marine transforming into the body of an avatar. He says, “Then he infiltrates the cat people to gather intelligence for a military invasion but ends up falling in love with a cat woman. A "race traitor" to his fellow humans, Sully leads the cat people in thwarting the military invasion”. From this statement Milloy says Jake Sully is a traitor. In my opinion, Jake is not a traitor, but is a human adapting to the ways of the Na’vi people. He then shares his experiences with the humans, or Sky People when he returns to being human. For example, Jake wakes up from his avatar body and keeps a video log. This is used for the humans to gather more information on life in Pandora, the world in which the “blue people” live in.

            Giving his opinion on the underlying meaning of the movie, Milloy says: “Avatar is a fantasy about ceasing to be white, giving up the old human meatsack to join the blue people but never losing white privilege”. As a watcher of the movie, this can easily be seen. Jake originally is frightened by the Na’vi people, but gives up his human ways, and learns how to adapt to the blue people. Jake never loses sense of his human “ways”, but learns how the Na’vi people live and become one with the animals and land. When Jake is on Pandora in his new body for the first time, he is frightened, unstable, and scared when approached by the “blue people”. Eventually Jake shows freedom and equality. Freedom is shown after Jake battles the dragon and shows peace and equality by attaching his braid. In Native American literature equality between man and land is a common theme.

            Courtland Milloy says “Only white men are privileged enough to have such choices”. When saying this, Milloy refers to how only the humans have the choice to choose what they want to do. Essentially Jake is demonstrating shape shifting when he goes from being human to a Na’vi. Only Jake or other humans have the choice, and the Na’vi people do not. This could resemble how the Native Americans were stuck being who they were, but at any time the white men could come and overthrow their land or property. 

Original Creation Myth

Reagan Baylee Campbell

September 2^nd, 2012

            Before the humans came to be, only the land, water, sun and stars existed. Everyday the Earth would change from day to night. While doing so, the sun and stars would swap places. The sun emerged from the core of the Earth, and the stars pulled in from a galaxy far, far away. One day, the stars did not come and the night was dull, dark, and lightless. This led to the great fire.

The great fire spread across Earth in every direction. All the stars combined with the sun, creating a sky full of beautiful colors. From this fire, the moon was born. As the land grew old, so did the sun. One day the sun did not rise from the Earth’s core, instead it created the reefs in the oceans and the soil on the land. The moon, created from the sun and stars, shined a bright yellow glow across all the oceans and land every evening. Eventually the moons outer layer burst and down dropped the first egg. From this egg, Ellis, the leader of all the land, was born. Ellis is known today as the child of mother Earth.  Every evening Ellis returns to his eggshell, the moon. This is why the moon shines bright white in the sky every night above our heads, representing the egg of first child born from mother Earth.