Reacties (1)

• Auteur

  Gerty Bataille

  Datum

  op 01-12-2009 06:40

  Reactie

  Dear Redmond,
  
  Last Sunday I heard that you love spirtitual stories of native people, being a member of Clearwater's Turtle Island Sloop Club, here is one that I have known for a long time about a Turtle Island and a new earth. For as far as I know it is a creation story of the North American Nation of the Ojibway/Anishinabe people and treated with respect for these people, it fits right in with Beagle.
  ***
  Creating Turtle Island - Weaving the Way of the Circle.
  
  In the beginning the Great Spirit made all things and gave them instructions to share the earth in harmony, but after a while many creatures forgot to respect each other. Unhappy with this the Creator loosed the waters of the earth and all the land was covered by it. The animals only being able to swim around, Way-nah-boo-zhoo, a man-god, took pity on them and told them what they had done. They promised to change and remember the path of the spirit. Makinaak, the turtle had an idea. He would offer his back for the foundation of a new earth. The other animals would have to swim to the bottom of the water and bring up mud to put on his back.
  Makwaa, the bear, wanted to be the first to create the new earth as he was most powerful of all the animals, but he could not get to the mud at the bottom. Bizhoo, the bobcat, wanted to try next, but he could also not get to the bottom. Maa'ingan, the wolf, was next, but he could not do it either. "I am the greatest swimmer of all the animals," said Amik, the beaver, but he also failed. The animals feeling miserable to reach the bottom of the water and create new land, little Waszhask, the muskrat, spoke and said that he thought he might be able to do it. The other animals laughed as they thought him not as powerful and strong as they were, but then Way-nah-boo-zhoo said, "You have puffed yourselves up so much to make everyone think you are great and you could get to the bottom of the water. In a new earth you must remember that you are all connected and not one of you is more than another. You must learn to love, honor, and respect each other as each of you has some energy to share with the others in the circle of life. And the circle finds a way for each of you to make a contribution. This is what you have forgotten. "So if Wazhusk, the muskrat, can do what you wish, would you be happy to live on this new earth?" All the animals agreed and each of them encouraged Wazhusk. So he swam and swam, but it still was too far, until he remembered the words and the love of the others, and he even swam deeper so that he could reach the bottom and scoop up a pawful of mud that he brought to the surface. He put it on the back of Makinaak, the turtle, and all the other animals cheered! Without puffing themselves up, they were now also able to get to the bottom and bring mud to the surface, which they put on the back of the turtle. Soon a small island was formed and they were able to crawl on the land and dance in a circle. They sang with so much of freedom and joy that the flowers, grasses, and trees began to grow. The noo-di-noon' (the winds) began to blow from all four directions and soon the water that had covered the earth only lived in the Big Waters and the Little Waters and the Rivers. Today they call their land Turtle Island to remember the gift of the turtle. And the Original Instructions.
  
  Then new beings, Inini and Ikwe, human beings, were brought to the earth. They were also taught the Original Instructions, but after many winters the humans began to forget them and Giidzhii Manidoo, the Great Spirit, was so unhappy about this selfish behavior that he was considering to destroy the earth again, this time with fire, and make a new creation. A white eagle, Wabishkie Ginu, heard his thoughts and begged him to have pity on the beings of earth. "The Little Brother called "man" has so much to learn" he said "and may remember the Original Instructions. So if I can find one who remembers them, will you hold back on destroying the earth one more day?" The Great Spirit agreed and now each day the eagle flies out at the dawn to see if at least one human remembers. When he finds one, he flies up to the Great Spirit to bring the news and the people of the earth receive one more day.
  Short from: Allen Aslan Heart / White Eagle Soaring of the Little Shell Pembina Band, a Treaty Tribe of the Ojibway Nation.
  ***
  For more of these stories you can go to:
  http://www.firstpeople.us/american-indian
  http://www.gct3.net/grand-chiefs-office/gct3-info-and-history/ojibway
  
  Fair Winds and keep sailing on,
  Gerty Bataille, a sailor of Clearwater from Amsterdam