The Creation (2)

Source: 
Ten’a Texts and Tales
(from Anvik, Alaska)
by John W. Chapman
The American Ethnological Society
Publications, Volume 6 (ed. Franz Boas)
E.J. Brill, Leyden, 1914

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► Themes of the story

Creation: The narrative explains how the earth expanded and life began.

Origin of Things: It provides an explanation for the emergence of the first humans and the peopling of the river regions.

Cultural Heroes: The man who captures the goose-woman and initiates the lineage of people serves as a foundational figure in the culture.

► From the same Region or People

• North America
  • Sub-Arctic Region
    • Koyukon Lore

Learn more about Koyukon people

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This account came from the oldest man in Nihlte’uxaidli’nktu, in 1896. He was the father of Benjamin and Go’uxolo’ihl Witho’. (This is from the Chageluk Slough. It would seem to be a mixture of two legends.)

The earth was small at first, and the land gradually increased. There was a small pair of people going about here and there in the grass. They warmed themselves in the grass, and grew with the earth. They slept, and found food placed near them, which they ate. Clothes were provided in the same way, and also berries. At length they met a man, who spoke to them angrily, and asked them why they had taken his food and berries. “For this you will obey my commands.” The man went away, they did not know where, — but he re-appeared to them from time to time. His village was across the Slough from Nihlte’uxaidli’nktu, where he lived with other men, but no women. Going about in his canoe, he heard the noise of talking and laughing, which proceeded from many women. He went up quietly and launched his spear, which passed through the parka of one of them. The rest turned into geese and flew away; but he captured this one and took her home. The rest of the men began to get wives in the same way. They gave their children food and clothes as they grew up, taught them different tongues, and sent them away, up and down the river, which they peopled.