Native American Legends and Stories about the Origin of the First Humans

First Humans of Native American Mythology

First Mother (Wabanaki)

First Woman and First Man (Navajo)

Kanati and Selu (Cherokee)

Old Man and Old Woman (Blackfoot)

Sky Woman (Iroquois)

Native American Stories about the Creation of the First Humans

Gluskonba Makes the People:
Abenaki legends about the creation of the first people from stone and ash trees.

Two Creators and their Conflicts:
Micmac legend about the couple that survived the great flood and fathered the human race.

Legend of the Potawatomi Indians:

The Origin of Corn and Other Crops:
Potawatomi stories about the first people.

Cautantowwit Creates The People:
Nipmuc legend about the Creator making the first humans from stone and clay.

The Legend of Ehep:
Cree legend about Spider lowering the first people to earth on a string.

The Creation of the World:
Gros Ventre myth about the creation of the first people.

Grandmother's Creation Story:
Cree legend about the relationship between the first animals and the first people.

Legend of the Beginning

How The Old Man Made People:
Two versions of the Blackfoot myth about Old-Man creating the first people, plants and animals.

Old Man and Old Woman

Woman Chooses Death

The Origin of Death:
Blackfoot legends about the first people and the origin of death.

Silver-Fox and Coyote:
Achumawi myth about Silver-Fox creating people and Coyote trying to imitate him.

Dotson'Sa, Great Raven Makes The World:
An Athabaskan myth telling how Raven made the first people.

The Well-Baked Man

A Potawatomi Creation Story:
Native American stories about the great Spirit's creation of different races. (Note that our volunteers believe that these stories
are intended as humorous tales, not serious creation myths. But other Native people may feel differently.)

Recommended Books of Related Native American Legends

Selu and Kana'ti: Cherokee Corn Mother and Lucky Hunter:
Children's book depicting the Cherokee Indian myth about the first man and woman.

Silver-Fox and Coyote:
Achumawi myth about the creator gods Coyote and Silver-Fox making people from wood.

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