The Earth recovered by diving

Source: 
The Beaver Indians
by Pliny Earle Goddard
The American Museum of Natural History – Anthropological Papers
Volume X, Part 4
New York, 1912

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► Themes of the story

Creation: The story explains how the world, specifically the land, was formed from the water.

Origin of Things: It provides an explanation for the existence of land and trees, detailing their emergence from the water through the efforts of the bird Xak’ale.

Mythical Creatures: The bird Xak’ale, who possesses the unique ability to dive deep and retrieve earth, can be seen as a mythical figure within this context.

► From the same Region or People

• North America
  • Sub-Arctic Region
    • Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

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In reply to questions it was learned that the earth is believed to have disappeared during a deluge from which certain people saved themselves by turning into waterbirds. The deluge was caused by the melting of the snow which accumulated during four summerless years. The incident of diving for the earth is very widespread in North America.

At first there was no land and no people, nothing but birds living on the water. They were the only living things. They came together at a certain place and one of them said, “I wonder where the land is?” They were looking for land without success. One of them tried to find land at the bottom of the water, but did not succeed. They all tried, but were not able to find it.

One of them, named Xak’ale, also dived into the water saying he would look for land. He went down disappearing from sight. He was gone a long time and when he came up, he was on his back vainly trying to breathe. He breathed a little and said, “Look here under my finger nails.” They looked under his nails and found some earth there which they took out. Xak’ale who brought the land up was small.

Trees grew again on the land which was taken from the water and the earth was made again. They say birds did this and the one who succeeded was named Xak’ale.