Background Paper on Sioux History and Myth

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BACKGROUND PAPER ON SIOUX HISTORY AND MYTH 1. In Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, it is said “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die.”1 The Sioux; as with all Native American tribes have a myth on creation and the end of the world. 2. Their myth of creation is one hope, love, betrayal and discovery. Before Earth was made the gods lived in an identical realm and humans live in a world lacking of culture that is strikingly sub terrestrial. The realm consists of a primary god and the Sun whom is married to the Moon. Sun has one daughter, Wohpe (“Falling Star”). The Old Man and Old Woman have a daughter; Ite (“Face”) who is married to Wind. With Ite (“Face”), Wind has four sons known as the Four Winds. Among them is a devious tricky spirit, Inktomi (“Spider”). Spider hatches a devious plan to improve Ite’s status. The plan is an affair between Ite and Sun. The punishment is that Moon is given her own realm away from the Sun thus creating time. Ite is sent to earth, but not with Wind. He along with his sons and another child; a fifth wind together they form space. Falling Star comes to earth and lives with South Wind and adopts the fifth wind Wamniomni (“Whirlwind”). In the new realm of earth the gods are bored and Spider goes to find Ite’s people known as the Buffalo Nation. He takes the form of a wolf underground finding a gathering of humans. They are told of the great wonders of the Earth. Tokahe, known as the first, goes with Spider appearing in a cave located in the Badlands and marvels at all the beauty around. More arrive but discover buffalo are few and begin to starve. Unable to return to their original home they survive using their newly gained knowledge about their new home.2 3. Where there is creation there must also be destruction. This Lakota Sioux myth speaks of a hidden cave located
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