Reading Notes: Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes, Part A

For this week, I'm reading the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes unit!

Bibliography: Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes unit. Myths and Legends of the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes, edited by Katharine Berry Judson (1914).

These readings were enjoyable and interesting. For my notes, I want to focus on the character of the Creator in the Chitimaca tale of "Creation." 

The story begins with a fascinating, compelling description of the Creator: "THERE was a Creator of All Things. This Great Mystery understood all things. He had no eyes, yet he could see. He had no ears, yet he could hear. He had a body, but it could not be seen." The idea of an omniscient Creator reminded me of the Abrahamic religions. However, this creation account and Creator were unique, distinct from more well-known/widespread creation accounts. This creator creates fish first, which I thought was neat and likely connected to geographic and/or cultural realities. The account says that the Creator made the first humans at Natchez, grounding this account in a familiar, spatial location. 

An interesting etiology for tobacco can be found in this story: "He gave them laws but the people did not follow the laws. Therefore many troubles came, so that the Creator could not rest. Therefore the Creator made tobacco. Then men could become quiet and rest." The existence of tobacco is connected directly to human disobedience of the creator, which I thought was a fascinating explanation for something so popular in the region. 

The creator then makes women, "but at first they were like wood." We then see direct interaction between the Creator and the people, as he takes an active role in their world. The Creator teaches the women how to move normally and some additional valuable skills. He also teaches the people in general how to hunt and cook.

The characterization of the Creator depicts a benevolent, powerful deity who knows much and wants to help his created people. I found this account engaging and want to incorporate these types of meaningful characterizations in my own stories! Reading a creation account (and other stories) from a tradition that is largely unfamiliar to me was a worthwhile experience.

"Flag of the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw of Louisiana (formerly the Biloxi-Chitimacha Confederation of Muskogees)" 

made by Wikimedia user "Xasartha". Source: Wikimedia