Apache Creation Story

            Early American Writer: Apache Creation Stories.
            
             The Apache Creation stories are important to learn about in American Literature classes. The Apache tribe is part of the origins of America and therefore their culture is important to every American's life. It is in the nature of humans to wonder about the unknown and search for answers. At the foundation of nearly every culture is a creation myth that explains how the wonders of the earth came to be. These myths have an immense influence on people's frame of reference. It is critical for people to learn of these myths because they can influence the way people think about the world and their place in relation to their surroundings.
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             In the beginning, there was nothing, only darkness. Suddenly a small man appeared and he created four other gods, and together they created the earth. They soon found out from a hummingbird that the west side of the earth was covered in water and that there will be a mighty flood. The first woman, White Painted Woman, was the only one who survived the great Flood by floating in an abalone shell. For this she is also called, White Shell Woman. On a mountain, she was impregnated by the sun, and gave birth of a son, Killer of Enemies. His role was to hunt for food, but every time he killed an animal, the Owl Man Giant would swoop down and steal the bounty. He and his sister grew hungrier and hungrier until one day, Creator formed a thunderstorm. From the rain, White Painted Woman became impregnated and gave birth to Son of Water. The child grew to be a strong warrior and slew Owl Man Giant in a ferocious fight. These three together helped from the present world. White Painted Woman taught her children, with the help of the Mountain Spirits, how to cure illnesses, how to govern themselves, and how to live in harmony with the animals and plants. But in these earliest days, the people were cold and hungry until Coyote, the trickster, took fire from where it had been made and spread it all around the world.