Читать книгу American Indian Creation Myths - Teresa Pijoan Phd - Страница 14

Eastern Creek, known as Redsticks, lived in southeast Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. The Redsticks refused to adopt to the white man's ways or rules. In 1813, the Redsticks massacred 107 soldiers, 160 civilians, and 100 slaves at Fort Mims on the lower Alabama River. General Andrew Jackson waged a counterattack by destroying every town in the upper part of Creek Territory. His soldiers killed every man, woman, and child they found, burning, looting, destroying all crops and possessions.

On March 27, 1814, Andrew Jackson defeated the Redsticks at Horseshoe Bend, Alabama. In one attack, his men of five thousand killed eight hundred Redsticks with few casualties of their own. Andrew Jackson then had the chiefs sign a treaty giving up 23 million acres of land to Georgia and Alabama. This was two thirds of the Creek nation and included their ancestral homeland.

In 1824, the United States forced the principle tribes of the Alibamu, Apalachi, Chicasaw, Chocktaw, Creek (or Maskoki), Koasati, Seminole, Yamacraw, and Yamasi to sign treaties giving the United States full control of three-fourths of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky, and North Carolina.

The round grandmother bustled over to us with a soft smile. “We don't have fry bread ‘light’, only the Navaho have fry bread ‘light’ and it hasn't done them much good.” We all laughed as honey was poured onto the fry bread she had brought us.

My friend wiped his chin with a napkin. “You have good humor for being Creek. Maybe it's all right if you tell us about the beginning time?”

The grandmother smiled and motioned to some folding chairs. “Here have a seat, this may take some time.”

In the beginning, Kitche Manitou was the creator of all things. Kitche Manitou created the Sky. He lives today in the Sky. Kitche Manitou saw there was no light. He made light and dark. Kitche Manitou did this over a long period of time, he was not in a hurry. Kitche Manitou brought about the Earth. Kitche Manitou gave it balance and harmony. This took a great deal of time and was done so all of life here would be in balance. Kitche Manitou made water to cover some of the land. In the water were fish and water animals.

Kitche Manitou did not hurry for he wanted everything he made to feel ALIVE. Kitche Manitou made birds, trees, and all plants. They could talk with one another, show respect to one another, and learn of LIFE and the importance of existing together with respect.

Kitche Manitou made the First People. These could communicate with everything else already here. This took much longer than seven days, for time was not of importance, LIFE was what was important and respect for other LIFE. He had to make all of these things in the Sky and place them carefully on the Earth.

Kitche Manitou explained to the animals, plants, waters, birds, and First People, which my grandfather called Human Beings, to live together. Kitche Manitou was not interested in power or wealth. He didn't tell anything living about death for Kitche Manitou only wanted life and for life to be in Balance.

Kitche Manitou taught the Human Beings how to kill only for food and for need. Animals knew this and once they were killed a ceremony was performed and the animals came back to life. There would always be food and always be animals. Balance.

Animals and plants sometimes killed Human Beings who were evil. This kept them from infecting the others. But life was too serious for Kitche Manitou. He believed there needed to be some humor, some enjoyment in life.

Kitche Manitou made Wisagedjak who played tricks on Human Beings and the Human Beings laughed at him. This made Wisagedjak angry because he felt no one took him seriously. Wisagedjak told some Human Beings that others were more favored by Kitche Manitou. This brought about fighting between the different Human Beings. The Human Beings divided to become different tribes, but they all spoke the same language. There were the Alibamu, Apalachi, Chicasaw, Choctaw, Creek (or Maskoki), Koasati, Seminle, Yamacraw, and Yamasi Human Beings.

Every fish, animal, and plant lived in a society which was equal to Human Beings. Each had a spiritual leader who lead and taught those under them. The bears had a leader, so did the beavers, caribou, otters, birds, trees and everything. A hunter could only hunt when he had earned the approval of the leader of the game he was hunting. Without help from the leader, the hunter could not hunt.

Wisagedjak told the Animal Beings that the Human Beings were selfish and greedy. Wisagedjak told the Animal Beings that the Human Beings never had to die and come back, only Animal Beings. Wisagedjak talked to the plants, speaking of how they were pulled up by the animals without ceremony and many never came back. Wisagedjak brought death to the earth. Kitche Manitou did not like this. Kitche Manitou believed in respect and harmony. His trickster had turned against him and life had lost its Balance.

Kitche Manitou brought about the clouds and caused a big rain. The water continued to flow until all the land was covered. As the water rose, Wisagadjak pulled up the trees to make a huge raft. He grabbed up the different kinds of animals which were swimming about in the water.

For two weeks, the Great Beaver swam in the water until there was no land. At the end of the two weeks, Muskrat dove down and could not find any dirt. Raven flew away and was gone for a whole day, but when he returned he told them he had not seen any land, only water, in all four directions.

Wisagedjak decided to make his own magic and called to Wolf. Wolf loped around and around the raft, holding in his mouth a piece of wet moss that had been floating in the water. The moss grew in Wolf's mouth with each circle around the raft. Soon it was too heavy for him to hold and he dropped it on the floor of the raft.

The wet moss grew on its own and the earth was formed. Wisagedjak told the animals to dance around it, then on top of it, then with it as it moved out over the water. This was great magic and put powerful spells on the earth until it became whole again.

This is why sometimes water seeps up from below and overflows onto the earth. If there are too many people, sometimes the weight of the earth is too heavy and the water comes up here. We have to be careful.

The animals, plants, birds, human beings all went their separate ways. Kitche Manitou gave them their own language and customs. The different tribes could no longer understand each other and they went their own ways. Wisagedjak had all his magic taken away from him. He became just a trickster that no one believed or trusted.

Kitche Manitou made Human Beings respect the land, sharing it with all other living beings and taught them to always show respect.

“Now it is time for me to head out, it is a long drive home. You have your story.”