Choctaws are an ancient people, but by their own account, they were the last of earth’s inhabitants to appear in this world. Choctaw creation story »»

The Navajo creation story involves three underworlds where important events happened to shape the Fourth World where we now live.

According to the Diné, the Navajo people emerged from three previous underworlds into this, the fourth, or “Glittering World”, through a magic reed. The first people from the other three worlds were not like the people of today. Navajo Creation Story »»

As told by Lame Deer

A long time ago, a really long time when the world was still freshly made, Unktehi the water monster fought the people and caused a great flood. Perhaps the Great Spirit, Wakan Tanka, was angry with us for some reason. Maybe he let Unktehi win out because he wanted to make a better kind of human being. Lakota creation story »»

Animals, elements, the solar system, and natural phenomena are revered by the Apaches. That which is beyond their understanding is always ascribed to the supernatural.

In the beginning nothing existed–no earth, no sky, no sun, no moon, only darkness was everywhere. Apache creation story »»

As told by the Wichita chief, Towakoni Jim, to George Dorsey

In the beginning there were neither sun, nor stars, nor anything else that we know today. For a long time, the only man was Man-never-known-on-Earth. He created everything. When he created the world, he created land and water, but they were not separate, and still everything was dark. Wichita creation story »»

As told by Abraham Johnny-John, Solomon O’Bail, George Titus, George Armstrong, Zachariah Jimeson, Andrew Fox, Henry Jacob, Henry Silverheels, Peter White, Black Chief, Phoebe Logan, Truman Halftown, and Chief Priest Henry Stevens

Long ago, before this earth existed, humans lived in the sky, and they were ruled by a great chief. This chief’s lodge was near a tall tree that had white blossoms and that every year produced corn for the people to eat. When this tree bloomed, there was light, but once its blossoms fell, darkness descended until its next flowering. Seneca creation story »»

This story comes from Hawaii, where it was part of the Kumulipo, a chant recounting both the origin of the world and the genealogy of Hawaii’s reigning family. The Kumulipo is a work of poetry with many shades of meaning and plays on words, and it also contains many subtle parables and parodies of rivals of the royal family. Hawaiian creation story »»

Earthmaker made the world with trees and fields, with rivers, lakes, and springs, and with hills and valleys. It was beautiful. However, there weren’t any humans, and so one day he decided to make some. Potawatomi creation story »»

When Mashé Manido, the Great Spirit, first made the earth, he also created a large numbers of manidos or spirits. Some of these spirits were benevolent, but many were malevolent, and they went to live beneath the earth. Kishä Manido, the Good Spirit, was one of these spirits. Menominee creation story »»

The Jicarilla Apache creation story tells of the Creation and the emergence of the Jicarilla people, and the sacredness of the number four. Jicarilla Apache creation story »»