The Old People’s Story

 

Before there was time there was no earth. Only the dark lay upon the water and the mud beneath. The Darkness and the Water through their Union a mighty noise was herd some say it sounded like crickets in a field of Corn other say it sounded like a pond in the a night.

 

On the Water there was only noise and the Darkness. From the Darkness a very strong Wind was born and this Wind gave birth to the first Human. When grown this Human awoke and when she arose from her bed she noticed she had something slimy stuck to her. She flicked off the algae that covered her. As she did she turned the algae into termites. The termites gathered a lot of algae together in one place. First Human decided to make this mound of algae secure so that the wind would not carry any of the algae away.

First Human, also called Earth Doctor, Sang this Song:

 

Earth Doctor made the Earth

I made the Earth round

It spins round and round

It spins round and round

I made it round.

Come near and see it and do something to it.

First Born Made the Earth

First Born Made the Earth

The Earth is home

The Earth will be with us along long time

 

When the First Born finished the Earth she decided it needed something more. She at that time made all the plants and all the animals at the same time. But all the living things were not happy for it was dark all the time and they could not talk to each other because it was dark all the time and could not find one another to talk to.  There was no “Sun”, there was no “Moon”, and there were no “Stars”.

 

First Born heard the sorrow of all living things. Then Earth Doctor or First Born said I will make the Sky and in the Sky I will make light so that everyone can see. First the big light was made and the Sky was bright and the Earth was bright and everyone was happy.  The living things called big meeting and decided to call this new creation “Sun”. Then First Born also made a lesser light to shine when the Sun Rested.   All the living things loved this lesser light and so they called it “Moon”. There was just a little bit of material left over so First Born threw it all over the Sky and the living things called them “Stars”. But, the Stars fell in a pattern that made no sense, so First Born began to sing:

 

 

I have made the Sun

I placed in the East

When it awakes it light up the Earth

 

I made the Dawn

I made the Dawn to sing of the coming of the Sun

 

I made the Coyote to sing to the beauty of the Sky

Coyote, Coyote to teach all who will listen

Coyote will be the singer of my songs

 

I made the Stars

I placed them in the Sky

The Stars carry the hope of everything

Stars lead us on our journey

 

 

I am going to make the Milky Way

I am going to make the Milky Way

It is beautiful

It stretches across the Sky

From Horizon to Horizon

Coyote, Coyote come breath in the Milky Way

 

Coyote became the teacher and Coyote was the companion of Fist Born also called Earth Doctor.

 

Vulture became the destroyer that would keep the Earth forever young by creating the material for continuous creation through destruction.

 

Rain became the caregiver and the mother to love and think about all living things.

 

Earth Doctor also known as First Born or First Human saw that all living things would live through their progeny. But, not Humans for only Earth Doctor lived. So Earth Doctor made her own Mate. Now, all of Humans are her descendants.

 

I rewrote this from Bernard L. Fontana recorded in his book Of Earth and Little Rain.