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Facts for Kids: Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Indians

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Information about the Iroquois Indians and the Haudenosaunee League for students and teachers. Covers food, clothing, longhouses,
art and crafts, weapons and tools, legends, government, and culture of the Iroquois tribes.

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Canadian Encyclopedia

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Origin and Definition

Turtle Island is the name many Algonquian- and Iroquoian-speaking peoples mainly in the northeastern part of North America use to refer to the continent. In various Indigenous origin stories, the turtle is said to support the world, and is an icon of life itself. Turtle Island therefore speaks to various spiritual beliefs about creation and for some, the turtle is a marker of identity, culture, autonomy and a deeply-held respect for the environment.

Story of Turtle Island

The story of Turtle Island varies among Indigenous communities, but by most accounts, it acts as a creation story that places emphasis on the turtle as a symbol of life and earth. The following versions are brief reinterpretations of stories shared by Indigenous peoples. In no way do these examples represent all variations of the tale; they merely seek to demonstrate general characteristics and plots of different stories.

In some Ojibwe oral traditions, the story of Turtle Island begins with a flooded Earth. The Creator had cleansed the world of feuding peoples in order to begin life anew. Some animals survived the flood, such as the loon, the muskrat and the turtle. Nanabush (Nanabozo) (or Weesakayjack in some Cree tales) - a supernatural being who has the power to create life in others - was also present. Nanabush asked the animals to swim deep beneath the water and collect soil that would be used to recreate the world. One by one the animals tried, but one by one they failed. The last animal that tried - the muskrat - was underwater for a long time, and when it resurfaced, the little animal had wet soil in its paws. The journey took the muskrat's life, but the creature did not die in vain. Nanabush took the soil and put it on a willing turtle's back. This became known as Turtle Island, the centre of creation.

Many Haudenosaunee versions of the tale start in the Sky World - a land in the heavens where supernatural beings existed. One day, a pregnant Sky Woman fell through a hole under the roots of a tree and descended to Earth. Gently guided down by birds that saw her falling through the sky, she was placed safely onto a turtle's back. Sky Woman was grateful to the animals for helping her. In some versions, her appreciation was so powerful that the earth began to grow around her, forming Turtle Island. In other versions, the animals brought forth mud from the bottom of the water, which grew on top of turtle's back and formed a new land for Sky Woman and her descendants - Turtle Island.

Scholars tend to describe tales like Turtle Island as "earth-diver myths" - stories that in some way connect the origin of the world to beings (often animals) that dove into ancient waters to retrieve soil used to create (or recreate) the world as we know it. Such tales also often involve the presence of supernatural beings, such as transformers or tricksters, and a Creator. ( See also Religion and Spirituality of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.)

Did you know?
Not all Indigenous creation stories feature a turtle. In many Northwest Coast Indigenous cultures, Raven features prominently in origin tales. According to the Haida, for example, Raven created Haida Gwaii and brought light into the world. Sedna, the ocean spirit, whose fingers created all the sea creatures, is central to Inuit creation stories. For some Innu peoples, it is Kuekuatsheu (Wolverine) that made land out of rocks and mud. Creation stories may not always feature animals and are not always about the origins of the land. Sometimes, these tales speak about how all lifeforms came to be, or about how humans learned valuable life lessons.

Colonization and Reclamation

Settlers' renaming of Turtle Island to North America is reflective of the anglicization (modification of non- English words into English) of Indigenous place names and stories. In recent times, Indigenous activists have made efforts to reclaim traditional names. For example, in 2016, the Ogimaa Mikana project (begun by writer Hayden King and artist Susan Blight in 2013 as part of the Idle No More Movement) prompted the re-introduction of Ojibwe place names to Toronto streets. Activists put stickers bearing the Ojibwe names of various roads on signs: Spadina Road temporarily became Ishpadinaa; Davenport Road became Gete-Onigaming. ( See also Anishinaabemowin: Ojibwe Language.)

Reclamation is not an easy process. Besides the involvement of various levels of government on the official renaming of any location, Indigenous peoples are not always in agreement about place names. For example, the Stoney-Nakoda have proposed renaming Calgary to Wichispa Oyade, but the Siksika, who also have claims to the area, instead prefer their own term: Mohkinstsis-aka-piyosis.

Despite such debates, reclamation efforts continue. In the case of Turtle Island, the term and origin story have found their way into various sectors of Canadian society. For example, some Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations have adopted the term as part of their official name or the name of their programming, such as Turtle Island News and the Toronto Zoo's Turtle Island Conservation programme. ( See also Zoos.)

The story of Turtle Island has also found its way into school curricula and texts. Turtle Island Reads - a Montreal initiative sponsored by McGill University and the local CBC - provides Canadians with stories about Indigenous peoples by Indigenous peoples. In 2018, the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, in partnership with various First Nations, Métis and Inuit organizations, released the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada. The atlas re-envisions the map of Canada, using traditional place names, territorial boundaries and stories (such as that of Turtle Island) to direct their design. (See also Indigenous Territory.)

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Turtle Island is the name many Algonquian- and Iroquoian-speaking peoples mainly in the northeastern part of North America use to refer to the continent. In various Indigenous origin stories, the turtle is said to support the world, and is an icon of life itself.

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Watch more Wilderness Survival Skills videos: http://www.howcast.com/videos/316381-How-to-Build-a-Wigwam The wigwam was a shelter constructed by many Native American peoples in the eastern part of North America. Step 1: Select a site Select a site for the wigwam. Use a clearing or clear an area yourself.

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Homes, Lifestyle

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Learning how to make a First Nations' canoe

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Mi'kmaq teens help build traditional birchbark canoes

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Detailed Steps of Making a Birchbark Canoe

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Detailed Steps of Making a Birchbark Canoe

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Birchbark Canoe Making -  Episode 1 - It Begins

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Making a Birch Bark Canoe with Tom Byers

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You will separate into 5-6 groups:

Senecas, Cayugas, Onondagas, Oneidas, Mohawks, and Tuscaroras
In your group, you will create a presentation and diorama.

Each tribe member will take one of the categories below and use the questions and resources to help you answer them. Please write or type your answers in complete sentences. Write your responses to the main (bold) questions as though you are a member of an Iroquois tribe:

(use 4-5 facts in your answer to this question)
Use the answers to the questions below to help you answer question 1.

2. What type of dwelling (home) will you live in and how will you and your clan protect your village? (use 4-5 facts in your answer to this question)
3. How will you use your environment to help you survive? (use 4-5 facts in your answer to this question)

(use 4-5 facts in your answer to this question)

What kinds of tools and weapons did the Iroquois use? What objects from the environment did the Iroquois use to make their tools and weapons? Iroquois Use the Environment

What were the main sources of food for the Iroquois? What were the "3 Sisters" and why were they called that? Food, 3 Sisters

What is the Legend of the Corn Husk Dolls, also known as "No Face" Dolls? How are Corn Husk Dolls related to the "3 Sisters?" Corn Husk Dolls

When you have completed your individual questions, work as a group to make a Word Cloud containing important key words from the information you learned doing your research:

Work as a tribe (group) to mark the map and name your village:

Tell where your clan would settle in New York State.

Print out this sheet and mark an X where your group has decided to settle in New York State. Make sure you can explain why you chose this spot in at least 3 sentences and use facts from the following resources:

Name your village

You can name it in English, i.e., "People of the Longhouse"

Use what you learned when answering the questions to help you decide on a good name for your village.

Your Settlement Poster or Diorama

Work with your group to draw or make your settlement to present to the other tribes.

Draw your settlement or make a diorama including at least 5 the following parts:

Resources to help with your diorama:

Build a Longhouse Paper Longhouse Pattern

Your Presentation:

When you present, include your drawing or diorama, your map showing where you will build your village, and present your answers to questions 1 through 5. All group members must present part of the information.

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You will separate into 5-6 groups: Senecas, Cayugas, Onondagas, Oneidas, Mohawks, and Tuscaroras In your group, you will create a presentation and diorama. Each tribe member will take one of the categories below and use the questions and resources to help you answer them. Please write or type your answers in complete sentences.

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How North America Came to Be

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The Legend of Weesakayjack | First Nation Legend | How North America came to be | Dir: Rabbithead

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American Indian languages American Indian tribes L'Algonquin (French version)
Language: Algonquin is the language for which theAlgonquian language family is named. This has caused great confusion: many websites incorrectly identify other Algonquian languages as Algonquin or the Algonquin language as Algonquian, and some people even claim there is no "Algonquin" language. There is, and it is spoken by 3000 Algonquin people in Quebec and Ontario. "Algonquin" refers only to that language, while "Algonquian" refers to the entire language family-- just as "German" refers to a language while "Germanic" refers to a language family. The Algonquin Indian language is averb-based andpolysynthetic language closely related toOjibwe. So me linguists even consider it an Ojibwe dialect, since people who speak Algonquin and Ojibwe can roughly understand each other (similar to Spanish and Italian speakers in Europe.)

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Names: The origins of the name Algonquin are unclear. It is often said to be aMohawk name meaning "bark-eater," but that is mistaken-- the Mohawk name for the Algonquin tribe wasAdirondack (which does mean bark-eaters.) "Algonquin" may have come from the Maliseet wordelehgumoqik ("our allies,") the Mi'kmaq word algoomaking ("of the fish-spearing-place"), or the Maliseet wordelakanqin ("they are good dancers.") In their own language, the Algonquin people call themselvesAnicinàbe ("original people") and their languageAnicinàbemowin ("original people's language.") Since this is the same self-designation used by theOjibwa, Ottawa, andPotawatomi tribes, Algonquin people today most often use the names Algonquin orOmàmiwinini to differentiate themselves from these other, politically independent tribes. Alternate spellings of these tribal names include Algonkin, Algonkian, Algoumequin, Algoquin, Algongin, Algonquen, Algic, Anishinabe, Anishnabe, Anishnabeg, Anishnabek, and Omamiwinini.

People: There are 8000 Algonquin Indians in Canada today, organized into nine nations inQuebec and one nation inOntario. The Algonquin Indians were the victims of unfortunate European politics. The banding together of theIroquois Confederacy had driven the Algonquins from lands that were once theirs, and when the French arrived trading firearms for furs, the Algonquins jumped at the deal. Though the French were good friends to the Algonquins, they did not make such good allies. The powerful Iroquois, aided first by the Dutch and later by the English, defeated the French and Algonquins alike. Though the Algonquins were defeated, they were never destroyed, and the Algonquin Indian culture lives on in pockets of their once-vast territory.

Algonquin Language
Algonquin language samples and resources.

Algonquin Culture and History
Information and links about the Algonquin Native Americans past and present.

Algonquin Indians Facts for Kids
Our answers to common questions about the Algonquin tribe.

Algonquin Legends
Introduction to Algonquin mythology.

The Anishinabe
Information about the Algonquins and other Anishinaabe people.

Our Online Language Materials
Algonquin Words:
List of vocabulary words in the Algonquin language, with comparison to words in other Algonquian languages.
Algonquin Pronunciation Guide:
How to pronounce Algonquin words.
Algonquin Animal Words:
Picture glossary of animal words in the Algonquin language.
Algonquin Body Parts:
Online and printable worksheets showing parts of the body in Algonquin.
Algonquin Colors:
Worksheet showing color words in the Algonquin language.
Algonquin Numbers:
Worksheet showing how to count in Algonquin.
Algonquin Foods:
Worksheet with pictures of food words in the Algonquin language.
Algonquin Animate Nouns:
Lesson on Algonquin animate and inanimate noun types.
Algonquin Possession:
Lesson on the use of Algonquin possessive prefixes.

Algonquin Dictionaries, Audio Tapes and Language Resources
Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links
You're So Fat!:
Book of essays about Ojibwe and Algonquin sociolinguistics.
Native American Language Dictionaries:
Algonquin and other American Indian language books and other ma terials for sale.

Language Lessons and Linguistic Descriptions
Algonquin or Algonkian?:
Explaining the difference between the words 'Algonquin' and 'Algonquian.'
Learning Algonquin:
Interactive language lessons from Kitigan Zibi Algonquin Nation.
Algonquin First Nation Language Resource:
Algonquin dictionary from the Golden Lake Algonquin tribe, with audio files.
Algonquin Glossaries:
English-Algonquin word lists from the Algonquin Nation Tribal Council.
Eagle Village Algonquin Language Algonquin College Audio Samples:
Audio recordings of Algonquin words and phrases.
Algonquin Calendar:
Learn the months of the year in Algonquin.

Literature and Texts in Algonquin
Canadian Tribute to Human Rights:
Dedication in Algonquin Anishinabe and English.
Algonquin Prayers Language Museum: Algonquin:
The Lord's Prayer and Ha il Mary translated into the Algonquin Indian language.
Children Singing Peace Around the World:
Algonquin translation of a children's peace song (English versionhere).
Algonquin Bible:
New Testament translation into the Algonquin language.

Algonquin Language Preservation and Usage
Fighting to Have Your Language Heard:
Native American language preservation efforts among the Algonquins,Iroquois, and other Canadian First Nations.
Algonquin/Algonkin:
Demographic information about Algonquin from the Ethnologue of Languages.

Algonquin Linguistics Research
Spielmann Bibliography:
Linguist from Pikogan First Nation studying the Ojibway and Algonquin languages.
George Aubin:
Linguist studying Algonquin and related languages.
Northern Algonquin Language Tree Algonquin/Algonkin Language Tree:
Theories about Algonquin's language relationships compiled by Linguist List.
Algonquin Language Structures:
Algonquin linguistic profile and academic bibliography.

Algonquin Proper Names
Algonkins Placenames:
North American place names in the Algonquin Indian language.
Native American Names for Pets:
Fundraiser offering names for dogs and other animals in Native American languages (including Algonquin).

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Additional Resources, Links, and References
Anishnabe Language Learning Algonquin Revitalization Resources:
Bibliographies ofOjibwe and Algonquin school materials.
Wikipedia: Algonquin Britannica: Algonquin Language:
Encyclopedia articles on the Algonquin language.
La Lengua Algonquino:
Art icle on the Algonquin language in Spanish. With a language map.
L'algonquin:
Information about the Algonquin language in French.
Algonquin Language:
Algonquin links pages.
Algonquin Tribe:
Algonquin Indian books.

Go back to our Native American Culture index
Go back to the First Nations of Canada
Go back to our American Indian Natives website for children

Indian clothing Maine maps Illinois maps Apalachee Bay park Indian tattoos

Would you like to help sponsor our group's work on the Algonquin Indian language?

Native Languages of the Americas website © 1998-2020 Contacts and FAQ page

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Algonquin Language and the Algonquin Indian Tribe (Algonquins)

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American Indian languages American Indian tribes L'Algonquin (French version) Language : Algonquin is the language for which theAlgonquian language family is named. This has caused great confusion: many websites incorrectly identify other Algonquian languages as Algonquin or the Algonquin language as Algonquian, and some people even claim there is no "Algonquin" language.

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Class Notes - The Iroquois and the Algonquins

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Class Notes - The Iroquois and the Algonquins

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CLASS NOTES - Indigenous Peoples: The Iroquois and Algonquins - Google Jamboard

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CLASS NOTES - Indigenous Peoples: The Iroquois and Algonquins

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Class Notes - Investigating Indigenous Life & Culture

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Class Notes - Investigating Indigenous Life & Culture

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CLASS NOTES - Investigating Indigenous Culture & Life - Student Notebook - Google Jamboard

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CLASS NOTES - Investigating Indigenous Culture & Life - Student Notebook

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The Iroquois Learning Longhouse - Research Page

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The Iroquois Learning Longhouse - Research Page

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Google Maps

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Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

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Indigenous peoples have used over a thousand different plants for food, medicine, materials, and in cultural rituals and mythology.

Indigenous peoples in what is now Canada collectively used over a thousand different plants for food, medicine, materials, and in cultural rituals and mythology. Many of these species, ranging from algae to conifers and flowering plants, remain important in today's indigenous communities. This knowledge of plants and their uses has allowed Aboriginal peoples to thrive in Canada's diverse environments. Many traditional uses of plants have evolved to be used in modern life by indigenous and non-indigenous peoples alike.

Food Plants

Before the arrival of Europeans to what is now Canada, Aboriginal peoples practised the cultivation of food crops in a variety of fertile areas. In terms of scale it was at its most elaborate in southern Ontario and the St Lawrence lowland. Crops included the "Three Sisters" - corn, beans and squash - as well as sunflowers, tobacco and, possibly sunchokes (the tuber of a species of sunflower). The Three Sisters were often planted together, in what is known as companion planting, where each plant supported the growth and nutrition of the others.

Over 500 species of wild plants provided food for Aboriginal peoples in Canada. Some of these foods are similar to those eaten today: root and green vegetables, fruits, nuts, berries, se eds and mushrooms. Traditional foods like maple syrup, wild rice and wild fruit a re now enjoyed in Canada by indigenous and non-indigenous peoples alike.

Other wild foods - som e types of lichens, marine algae, and the inner bark tissues of some trees - are not normally part of the modern diet. Plants were also used as sweeteners, flavourings and beverages; many wild plants provided more than one type of food.

Medicinal Plants

Plants were, and still are, an important component of indigenous medicine. Herbal specialists were usually responsible for curing disease and maintaining health. Although administering herbal medicines was sometimes associated with ritual and in many cultures herbal curing and magical curing were virtually inseparable, these specialists were not necessarily shamans who invoked supernatural powers in healing. Sometimes, special curative and spiritual organizations existed, like the Ojibwa Midewiwin (grand medicine society) in which initiates passed through stages, eventually learning the ritual and herbalism for curing disease.

More than 500 plants were used in indigenous medicine. Specialists could administer such medicines as herbal teas, preparations to be chewed and swallowed, poultices, inhaled vapours, or a variety of other applications. Specialists could prescribe any part of a plant, either alone or in combination with other herbs.

Aboriginal practitioners were skilled in selection, preparation and dosage of herbal medicines, and traditional treatments were effective in treating a host of ailments, including wounds, skin sores, gastrointestinal disorders, coughs, colds, fevers and rheumatism. A famous example is the curing of Cartier's men of scurvy in the winter of 1535-36. They were treated by the St. Lawrence Iroquoians of Stadacona with a conifer tea of high vitamin C content (probably eastern white pine).

Utility Plants

Woods were of prime importance as fuels, and as major components of utilitarian items: buildings, dugout canoes, boxes, totem poles and implements like paddles, digging sticks, spear shafts, bows, arrows, and snowshoe frames. Sheets of bark, especially birch, were made into containers and canoes. Bark was also used to cover roofs and line storage pits.

Fibrous tissues from stems, roots, bark and leaves served for twine, rope and weaving materials for baskets, mats and clothing. Tree resin was used as glue and waterproofing. Plants provided dyes and pigments, scents, absorbent materials, abrasives, linings and wrappings, insect repellents, toys and recreational items, and personal adornment.

Spiritual Importance

By representing a spiritual connection with the earth, many plants provide more than just corporeal or utilitarian benefits. For example, the Haudenosaunee hold several ceremonies - like the Sap, Seed, Strawberry, Bean, and Green Corn ceremonies - that honour the interconnectivity of plant and human life.

Tobacco is of major importance to many peoples, figuring prominently in ceremonies, everyday life, and creation stories. Tobacco, sage, sweet grass and cedar are used for various spiritual purposes in smudging ceremonies, where smoke is fanned over the face and head.

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Uses of Plants among Indigenous Peoples in Canada

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Indigenous peoples have used over a thousand different plants for food, medicine, materials, and in cultural rituals and mythology. Indigenous peoples in what is now Canada collectively used over a thousand different plants for food, medicine, materials, and in cultural rituals and mythology.

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The Creation of Turtle Island - the Birth of North America

The Ojibwa and some other First Nations people, refer to the world as Turtle Island. Different people have different ways of telling the story of how this part of the world was created...sort of how the Protestants and the Catholics put a spin on their versions of Bible stories. But this is what I was told about how the world came to be...

If you've read some of my other stories you'll already know that the universe was created by Kitch-Manitou's abiity to envision all that was possible and then bring it into being.

I don't know where Kitchi-Manitou went after he created the universe and everything in it. I don't know how long he stayed away. But I was told that after some time had passed he decided to drop by to check up on things, so to speak.

On his return he looked around and saw that Mother Earth, Muzzu-Kummik-Quae seemed to be well. The animals that wandered the land, that swam in the seas and flew in the air held each other in balance as did the the trees, the grasses and the thorns.

But on closer look, Manitou realized that something else was possible. He had another vision. He realized that there was one more thing that he could create.

He could put on the world a special creature who, like himself, could dream.

All other animals Manitou had simply "declared" into existence. But he wanted these new beings to be able to have visions - to see new possibilities for themselves and others so he knew he had to pass on his own spiritual essence.

A Spirit is Simply a Possibility

Because I've been speaking of Kitchi Manitou as if he was a person, you may have forgotten that what he is personifying is possibility...the possibility of everything in the universe that we know and everything that we don't know. But there are lesser possibilities. For example, there is the possibility that there is such a thing as winter. For the Ojibwa, winter is personified by Keewatin, spirit of the north. And then of course there is the possibility that the male being is not sufficient unto himself. Why else the need for women?

It was this feminine potential, personified as the spirit Geezhigo-Quae, to whom Kitchi Manitou ascended. I say ascended because Geezhigo-Quae (Sky Woman) lived on the Moon.

Now young ladies...listen up.

Here is what happened.

Even Manitou Accepted a Woman's Help

Kitchi Manitou, the greatest of spirits, the most powerful being in the universe had to ask a woman for help.

He asked if she would bear his essence. He asked if she would join with him in creating an image of himself in the world. He asked if she would love and nurture his children.

Sky Woman agreed.

They joined together and Sky Woman became pregnant with the children of Kitchi Manitou.

And then the blighter disappeared. He went off and did whatever men and Manitou's do after they get their women pregnant!

So Sky Woman went down to Mother Earth to make preparations for the birth herself. She bent trees for a lodge. Tanned hides to cover it. Dried meat for the winter.

Many animals passed by to ask what she was up to. She explained that she was carrying Manitou's children and was preparing a home for them.

The word spread across the world. Most creatures were happy and excited that Manitou had given them the gift of his children.

But not the Water Manitous. They were mad!

Jealousy Raises it's Ugly Head

You see every life form that lived on Mother Earth needed water and the supply of water was controlled by the Water Manitous. They knew that Kitchi Manitou was the most powerful of spirits and if his children walked the Earth their powers over the water would be diminished.

Actually, the Water Manitous weren't just mad. They were enraged!

In retaliation they used their powers to cause a great flood that spread across the entire world.

As the waters rose and destroyed her encampment Sky Woman retreated to the Moon. She looked down in dismay. Water covered the land, her man was gone who knows where, and she - pregnant with his children -was left to handle the chaos by herself.

You get the idea that this is a TRUE story!

But like every woman, Geezhigo-Quae had a mind of her own. She wasn't helpless. She knew that she could influence her own destiny. She could have a say in how things turned out. She made a plan.

Although the world was inundated with water below her, Sky Woman could see a few animals that were not under the total control of the Water Spirits. That was because although they breathed air, they knew how to swim!

The first creature she called to her aid was the giant turtle. But she asked other creatures to help her, too. The loon, the beaver, even the little muskrat were among her assistants that day.

The Female Spirit Prevails

What she told them was this.

"I don't have all the powers of creation that Kitchi Manitou has. But I'm a woman and I have a special gift. I have the power to re-create. I can re-create Manitou's world, but I can't do it by myself. I need your help. I need you to dive deep. I need you to dive deep enough that you can bring me a handful of the original soil made by Manitou. The soil will be the seed I use to re-create the Earth."

All day long the animals took turns trying.

The giant sea turtle went first because he was the biggest. He tried and tried but couldn't descend to the bottom of the rising waters. When he came to the surface for the last time he invited Geeshigo-Quae to come down from the Moon and sit on his back so that she could direct the operations.

All afternoon the loon and the beaver took turns diving but they just couldn't get to the bottom of the murky depths.

At the end of the day it was only the little muskrat who hadn't given it a try. Not because he didn't want to help, but because everyone knew that muskrats don't really dive deep. Muskrats live in shallow sloughs, or at the edge of rivers and lakes. You'll never see them swimming in the deepest water.

But if you look at your own life, you'll see that there are times when you just have to give up your old story about what you can or cannot do. Sometimes in your life you have to burst from the confines of your story and grow into a more capable person.

That day, long ago, the muskrat decided that with no one else available to help it was up to him to do the job.

He took a deep breath. Then another. And another.

Then in an instant he disappeared below the surface.

Sky Woman and her friends waited.

They waited and waited...but the muskrat didn't return.

The sun dipped below the horizon.

They waited.

The moon cast a sad blue glow across the water.

They waited.

It was a long night.

As the sky grew light Geezhigo-Quae scanned the waves. She strained to catch sight of the muskrat.

Suddenly she gasped. She pointed across the water. Something floated in the distance.

The turtle swam quickly towards it and as they got close Sky Woman realized it was the muskrat...but he was dead.

She pulled him from the water, sad that he'd given his life trying to help her build a home for her children. She cradled him in her arms and saw that one of his paws was clutched tightly.

Gently she pried it open.

There was the soil from Manitou's world!

The little muskrat did it!

He did what the bigger animals couldn't. He did what no other muskrat had done before.

Geezhigo-Quae was so happy. Now she could create a home for Manitou's children!

To thank the muskrat she bent over and breathed life back into him . . . which is why we still have muskrats today.

Then she took the soil and breathed into it the characteristics that would allow it to provide nourishment, shelter, teachings and incentive to the beings that would live upon it.

That soil she rubbed on the turtle's back.

She rubbed the soil round and round. As she did so the Muzzu-kummick-quae again took shape above the water. Geezhigo-Quae continued to move over the new soil. She walked in wider and wider circles. And the Earth was re-created.

Forever after the Ojibwa called this land Turtle Island.

Then Sky Woman gave birth.

Eventually Kitchi Manitou returned and was grateful to Geezhigo-Quae for her strength and her compassion.

He decided that she must have a new name . . . a name that would always be voiced with honor and respect. Thereafter she was known as Nokomis - the Great Mother, creator of the Anishinabeg, the Good Beings.

The children of Kitchi Manitou and Nokomis had children...and the children had children.

As time went on and people spread across the land they sometimes called themselves Ojibwa, sometimes Chippewa, or Ottawa, Pottawatomi and Mississauga.

Eventually they were known as Canadians and Americans.

I've noticed that native legends and Indian myths generally show up in storybooks. This is good. Kids can handle this stuff. I learned the myths and legends of the Ojibwa when I was a kid and it made sense to me. You, on the other hand, may have difficulty understanding the Anishnabe mind if you've unconsciously plunked the notion of manitous, visions and native spirituality into a box called "Children's Literature".
The Ojibwa Creation Story
This is the story about how Manitou created the world simply by knowing that it was possible.
Native American Spirituality
An Elder's thoughts on mainstream perception of Native American spirituality.

This is an ever so brief explanation of what a vision quest meant to the Ojibwa people. There's a HUGE amount of misinformation about this subject on the internet. This is not all I have to say about it, but it is what I am offering you now.
Traditional Knowledge

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The Creation of Turtle Island - the Ojibwa version.

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The Ojibwa and some other First Nations people, refer to the world as Turtle Island. Different people have different ways of telling the story of how this part of the world was created...sort of how the Protestants and the Catholics put a spin on their versions of Bible stories.

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Kyle Donohue's History on the Algonquins

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

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Worlds Collide | Canada: The Story of Us, Full Episode 1

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Retold as a Children's Book with Art Created by Students

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Gardening and Cooking with Farmer Allison: Legend of the Three Sisters