Creation Myths: Similarities And Differences

When someone says “mythology”, people usually think about the myths that come from places such as Greece, Scandinavia, or Rome. But there are also thousands of myths that come from right here in America. That said, there is not just one bundle of myths for the entire continent; in fact, nearly every Native American tribe has its own separate mythology, complete with gods, stories, and explanations for natural phenomena. These myths are not completely devoid of commonalities, though. Many factors from these myths seem to be shared between certain tribes, even though the tribes may have lived thousand miles apart. Two such tribes’ myths--namely, their creation myths--will be analyzed here, as well as their similarities and differences. Despite the fact that Hawaiian and Cree …show more content…
Hawaiian natives were “experts in managing their environment. With tools of only wood, stone and shell they successfully practiced the science of renewable resources.” (“Who are Native Hawaiians?”) Their expertise in these fields led their population to grow to “between 400,000 and as many as one million Native Hawaiians . . . living on the major Hawaiian islands” (Launiu) at their peak. Unfortunately, near the end of the nineteenth century, the natives were invaded by the US military and the queen Lili‘uokalani was overthrown. Not long after, Hawaii became a part of the United States, though it is reported that the majority of natives were against annexation. Though there are around eight thousand natives left today, that is a small fraction of what the population