“People of Peace”

Hopi Creation myth

In choosing a creation myth to discuss in class, I wanted something interesting, entertaining, and something that would make the listener want to be attentive. The story of the Hopi people, native to northern Arizona, seem to be one of the many intriguing stories to talk about.

Before there was anything, there was just endless amounts of space, and only one there was its creator, Taiowa, He lived in a world with no time, shape, and no life but him. In time he decided to create Sotuknank, Taiowa called him, his nephew. Sotuknang created nine universes, then nine solid worlds, Taiowa told his nephew to gather water and male land and seas, air and wind. Then came the creation of life, he created Spider-women. She had the power to create life, life in plants, flowers, bushes and trees. The birds and animals just by singing the Creation song, when Spider-women was finished creating life on earth she created humans, the creator then spoke his instructions to live in harmony, those were his only instructions.

In time, the people started to grow apart from one another and soon Taiowa, told the people to go live among the ants, while he destroys the world that couldn’t live in harmony.  The humans learned while living with the ants, during their time with the ants, they noticed the ants had storerooms full of food, and since the ants couldn’t collect more food, due to the earth being “Cleaned”, the ants started running low with food, the humans refused the food, but the ants insisted they eat, which is why ants have small waists to this day.

Living with the ants became a tradition, every time Taiowa the creator, created a new world for the humans to live in, they started off living in harmony, but that only last for so long, till they drifted away, so once again the humans were sent to live with the ants.

Finally, Spider-women opened the reeds so people could see a newer world, they floated the new waters for days, looking for land, until one day they finally fond and island. After finding one island, they sailed to find a bigger island. From island to island they walked it, creating new rafts, leaving their symbols and moving to the next.  After settling on the islands The creator welcomed them to their new world, but warning them it won’t be as beautiful like the last worlds they lived on, life would be harder. They migrated all in different directions, settling and building towns. Which soon be called the Colorado River. The Hopi people settled their because it would always remind them of their creator.