🐢 Sky Woman and the Creation of Turtle Island

Long before this world existed, there was only the Sky World above. In that Sky World lived Sky People, and among them was a woman known as Sky Woman.

One day, Sky Woman became pregnant. Her partner, seeking to satisfy her craving, dug around the roots of the Great Tree of Light that stood in the center of their world. In doing so, he broke through the floor of Sky World, creating a hole that opened to the endless waters below.

Curious and drawn by fate, Sky Woman peered into the hole—and she fell.

As she tumbled from the Sky World, she clutched a handful of seeds and the bark from the Great Tree. Below her were only waters, stretching in every direction, inhabited by water animals and birds.

Seeing her fall, the geese flew up and caught her gently on their backs, breaking her fall. But they could not hold her forever. The animals knew she needed a place to stand. The muskrat, smallest and least likely among them, volunteered to dive to the bottom of the waters. Though others tried and failed, muskrat dove deep—so deep that he lost his breath—but he returned with a handful of sacred earth.

That earth was placed on the back of a giant turtle, and Sky Woman stepped onto it, spreading the soil and planting the seeds she had brought. As she danced in gratitude, the land grew larger and more fertile with each step.

This land came to be known as Turtle Island—what many Indigenous peoples now call North America.

🌀 Cultural Notes
This story is foundational not only to the Mohawk people but to many of the Haudenosaunee nations. It teaches respect for the humble muskrat’s sacrifice, the balance between genders (Sky Woman as a central life-giving force), and the interconnectedness of animals, humans, and the natural world. It also emphasizes gratitude and stewardship.

Notably, it is often shared in ceremonial contexts and has many variations depending on the storyteller and nation.


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