A Comparison of Native Creation Stories “Turtle Island” and “The One About Coyote Going West” are native creation stories that reflect the culture and beliefs of the people. The stories attempt to explain the unexplainable with aspects of magic and other worldly powers. These stories come from different time periods, use different names for divine creators and have different animals to tell the story. However, the similarities between the two stories’ creation method, setting and portrayal of protagonists, show the reoccurring themes in native stories about the importance of nature and the blending of worlds with the divine and reality.
To begin with, the two creations stories show patterns in how the earth was created. Although the creator in “Turtle Island” is a more human-like character Nanaboozhoo, and in the other story the creator is a coyote, the two stories share common …show more content…
Both stories have the creators of the planet on the earth’s surface, not as divine beings from above “She (Coyote) put rocks in that river… gets shallow fast.” (King, 76). This shows a closeness to the earth shows how the world of godly figures can be blended with the physical world. Furthermore both stories have contributions of anthropomorphized animals, such as the ducks in “Coyote Going West” and the muskrat and turtle in “Turtle Island”. Thus showing that animals were not only created from the earth but are creators of the earth. Correspondingly, the two tales both have ideas of mysterious unknown forces that are not personified. “Turtle Island” shows this as the wind (Four Directions) and in “Coyote Going West” it is not specified but things are created, like the mountain. "Suddenly the wind blew from each of
To begin with, the two creations stories show patterns in how the earth was created. Although the creator in “Turtle Island” is a more human-like character Nanaboozhoo, and in the other story the creator is a coyote, the two stories share common …show more content…
Both stories have the creators of the planet on the earth’s surface, not as divine beings from above “She (Coyote) put rocks in that river… gets shallow fast.” (King, 76). This shows a closeness to the earth shows how the world of godly figures can be blended with the physical world. Furthermore both stories have contributions of anthropomorphized animals, such as the ducks in “Coyote Going West” and the muskrat and turtle in “Turtle Island”. Thus showing that animals were not only created from the earth but are creators of the earth. Correspondingly, the two tales both have ideas of mysterious unknown forces that are not personified. “Turtle Island” shows this as the wind (Four Directions) and in “Coyote Going West” it is not specified but things are created, like the mountain. "Suddenly the wind blew from each of