I found the details of the creation stories that stuck out the most to me were the consistency of each one and how they seem to be the same story just focused on a different point in the story. How the early people consistently came from the earth and below rather than dropped down from the heavens. The importance of listening to these stories is the way they can be interacted with and experienced rather than just read. Reading is a good medium to learn but listening to these stories is what makes them so impactful and carry so much meaning and significance to the communities. The resilience of indigenous culture and people can be attributed to their view of the world “…all living things contribute to the circle of life equally and should be acknowledged and respected as such.”(Lagman) Viewing the world in a way which human beings are not one above all but rather just another cog in the machine causes a mindset that is very focused on the goods of the world and having such positive opinions cultivates great resilience and strength in the face of darkness and evil which is so powerful in today’s world.
Citation
Lagman, Ryan. “Indigenous Worldview (What Is It, and How Is It Different?).” Tribal Trade, Tribal Trade, 9 Sept. 2021, tribaltradeco.com/blogs/teachings/indigenous-worldview-what-is-it-and-how-is-it-different#:~:text=Indigenous%20people%20believe%20that%20connection,so%20important%20to%20Indigenous%20worldview.
Hi Izayiah!
It is so interesting to think about the similarities and differences between each story. I was also surprised by the amount of similarity across each narrative– although some of the details changed, the over all message and lessons in the story were often the same. One particular detail that stood out to me was the conceptualization of different layers of spiritual worlds– some above, and some below. I also felt like listening to the story created a better experience to learn about these stories and the lessons they told. I don’t think it would have had the same impact if we simply read about them!