The Iroquois Constitution

The Iroquois Constitution wasn't just a set of laws and an explanation of how a government will operate. It was much more than that. It was a way of life. It explains how people should live their life under the Tree of Great Long Leaves, meaning in peace and harmony. Under the Tree anger and frustration did not exist. When you lived under this constitution you lived without hatred and with love and peace at heart. You would show your peace and gratitude toward others in the confederation with four strings of shells. I the strings of shells are symbolic for love and peace. This was a place where evil was not a factor. Only love would be expressed under the Tree of Great Long Leaves.

from The Navajo Origin Legend

What? This story made no sense at all. The only thing I pulled from it is that men and women were created to be together and reproduce.

When Grizzlies Walked Upright

The Chief of the Sky Spirits is meannt to be "God" in this story. He creates Earth with a stone and puts a mountain on it first. Then he starts to walk down his mountain putting his finger on spots on the earth creating trees. The snow melted under his feet creating rivers. He then breaks his walking stick and throws the big pieces in the water creating otter and beaver, and small pieces being the fish. Then he took the largest piece of thhe stick and created all other animals on earth, grizzly bears being biggest. He disliked them so he sent them away to live in the forest at the base of his mountain. When his daughter falls down the mountain and is taken by the grizzlies she becomes one of them. She is now apart of all other earth life and starts the cycle of evolution on Earth. This story is another way to explain how life started on earth. Also it explains how humans came to be as well as every other animal on the planet.

The Earth on Turtle's Back

This story, to me, seems like its another non scientific way to explain how earth was created. The Great Tree represents earth before it formation. All the men that tried to uproot the tree represents all the time it took for earth to form, and when the chief finally uproots the tree earths formation is complete. Now that earth is formed, life starts to up rise. Each animal who tries to bring the earth up to the surface of the water represents early life forms. Each time a different animal try's to get the earth that animal goes deeper than the past animal. When the animals go deeper that represents evolution. The animals get stronger and better instincts the further into evolution they get. The muskrat may not have been the strongest, but its instincts for survival have increased because it knew that the Sky Woman (could be its family or companion) needed the earth to survive. The turtle represented the world changing into something with life, and flourishing as a planet. Now the earth was completely evolved and life could flourish on land as well as the water.

Christopher Colombus

In the reading I did today on Christtopher Colombus I learned a few things. One thing I learned is that he arrived on an island. On the island he found a deserted house that were completely furnished. The natives fled when they saw Colombus' crew arrived. Colombus made sure that his crew took nothing from the house. He saw how beautiful and fertile the land was. There was no development, just foliage and lakes. He discovered the aloe tree and decided he would take some back. When they came upon a village of natives, the natives fled into the mountains. Finally natives came up to them. Colombus gave them glass beads and hawk's bells. In return, the natives brought them fresh water to stock their ships. Colombus spoke with the natives and asked about gold. The natives told him of Colba or Cuba. According to what Colombus heard there was an abundance of gold and spices there and that is where he would go. From my learning in past years I've learned that Colombus wasn't really as nice as he was portrayed in this story. I was taught that he took as much as he could get his hands on. Eventually he took control of La Hispanola or the Dominican Republic. He came and went bringing everything of "value" back to Spain. The natives had to gather a certain amount of gold per week or so or else they would either be beatin, killed or enslaved.