In the video “Are Mexicans considered Native Americans” You mentioned you heard the creation story over and over again. My question is: What is the creation story that relates to the Grand Canyon? I am curious to know. I’m from Los Angeles and have family in Phoenix. I would really appreciate any resources that you can recommend so I can do my own research as well. Thanks!
Hi there, thanks for the question. I’m a curious cat too 🙂
So the creation story I was referring to is from my tribe (Zuni Pueblo). Every Indigenous culture has their own version of how we came to be on this planet.Most tribes will guard this information closely, and children are raised to respect tribal stories by sharing them only with family, or trusted friends.So in light of this, I’ll give you a general version, skipping the details in respect for my tribe.
Zuni’s (A-shiwi) believe that we came from the center of the world. As we made our way up to the surface, we passed through seven different layers. When we arrived on the surface, which happened to be at present day Grand Canyon, we had webbed feet and hands from being in the underworld. So, we cut away at our hands with flint knives and carried our children on our backs to make our way to the center of the universe (present day Zuni), as we carried our children some would fall and when they hit the ground they became tadpoles. We traveled as a group, one group reaching Zuni (the center of the universe)while one group headed South (the group I mentioned seeing in Chile ).
As far as resources go, the best place to start is with the tribal office from your tribe. If you’re lucky, your tribe may have a museum or information center you can pick up some info at. Let them know who you are and that you’re looking for more information on where you come from. Searching online is another place to start. Best of luck!
Auntie Manda
