Cree Creation Story

The story begins with two people walking on clouds in another world, observing a lush, green land below with streams, lakes, rivers, birds, and animals. They long to go down but have no way until they spot a 'black speck' in the distance.

The speaker introduces the topic of creation, highlighting fundamental questions about origin and purpose. He explains that the Cree tradition has its own creation story, rooted in 'time immemorial,' which he uncovered from an elder's writings from the 1930s at the Smithsonian Institute.

This is how the Cree believe they arrived on Earth, lowered from the upper world by Eh-tep, the great spider and net maker. Upon reaching Earth, they are befriended by the bear, who teaches them everything they need to know to navigate this new world, leading to the designation of the bear as 'our brother.'

The speaker concludes by emphasizing that this creation story provides the Cree people with teachings about their origins, guiding them from their past to their present and future. It answers fundamental questions about where they come from and where they are going.

The black speck turns out to be a huge creature, which they identify as the great spider, Eh-tep. Eh-tep agrees to help them descend, spinning a large bowl and attaching his web to it. He instructs them not to look over the edge during their descent.

As Eh-tep lowers them, one of the beings, overcome by excitement, tries to look over the edge. This causes the bowl to swing violently. It settles only after they are safely on a tall, branchless tree, unable to get down.

On the tall tree, they see the vibrant life below. Various animals pass by, including a Caribou that declines to help them descend due to its inability to climb trees or rocks. Finally, a Fisher agrees to help, scrambling up the tree and bringing each of them down to Earth safely.