When the animals and plants were first made–we do not know by whom–they were told to watch and keep awake for seven nights, just as young men now fast and keep awake when they pray to their medicine.
Seven is a sacred number but I do wonder why it is always seven? I also wonder why the young men had to pray to their medicine. I saw a source that seven represents the highest spiritual power and I wonder if that is true.
Coyote was quite willing and complied, but immediately afterwards lay down and died.
Why and how did Coyote die after having intercourse with the woman? I guess I'm confused on why it took so much out of him. Did anything happen to the woman after he died? I understand this is about reproduction but I wonder if he could have gone about it a different way.
The Salinian and Cherokee
These stories are about the Salinian and Cherokee tribes. They are stories about how human and animals were created. The Salinan story was written by John Alden Mason in 1912. The Cherokee story was written by W.Powell, Nineteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in 1897-1898. Both are these stories were created in what is now California.
Gälûñ’lätï
Gälûñ’lätï is defined as the sky world or realm.
When the animals and plants were first made–we do not know by whom
The language of this suggests that the identity of the creator is unknown. It almost seems like this was supposed to remain a mystery to prevent people questioning the presence of the creator. This is significant because it will not disrupt the harmony created. It was expected to understand the activities of the creator. Without balance the creator and people would not be able to keep each other in check.
It was afterward fastened to the sky with four cords, but no one remembers who did this.
The four cords seem to represent a compass. This is significant because it shows Earth was created with stability and balance that should be maintained. Although no one remembers who did it, it can be indicated that God created it. This differentiates the Earth. The audience are the people who came to be after and were told this story of how life on Earth was created, even if there are questions with how it came to be. This also shows that Earth was created from the efforts of the water-beetle.
When the world grows old and worn out, the people will die and the cords will break and let the earth sink down into the ocean, and all will be water again. The Indians are afraid of this.
The Cherokee made this story to describe the beginning of life. This is important because it shows there is a genuine concern for Native's to be extinct. This shows significance in taking care of Earth because life is precious. This also shows how Earth came to be and how fast it can disappear. This is significant because harmony is important to live.
When all was water, the animals were above in Gälûñ’lätï, beyond the arch; but it was very much crowded, and they were wanting more room.
This almost indicates that the animals create the earth and determine how it is shaped. This seems to take place before humans were created. Before them, there was no Earth and the animals lived on a land in the sky. They would also need to make sure every animal could survive and thrive in the new room. The animals had to get Earth ready to prepare for human creation so they could live.
When the world was finished, there were as yet no people, but the Bald Eagle was the chief of the animals. He saw the world was incomplete and decided to make some human beings
The Native Eagle Symbol is known as “The master of skies” and is believed to be the creature with the closest relationship with the creator.