Earth On Turtle's Back Analysis

Samantha Delgado
Mrs. Shreiner
English III: American Literature
9/27/13
When Turtles Walked Upright!? The Earth on Grizzly’s Back!? In the Native American origin myths “Earth on Turtle’s Back” by the Onondaga and “When Grizzlies Walked Upright” by the Modoc many cultural values are revealed. In both stories the indigenous people are able to give insight as to how they feel life begins and their religious beliefs. By doing so they reveal details about their tribes that otherwise would have remained a secret. In addition the myth structure is able to detail the cultural and natural phenomena that occurred during the time of the tribe’s existence. In the end Native American origin myths have been able to provide future generations with an insightful
account of the lives of ancient cultures no longer found in existence.
Without the benefit of origin myths much of what we know today about the Onondaga and Modoc would have been lost forever. For example both tribes have a creative way of explaining how life begins, as the Onondaga claim, “From those seeds the trees and the grass sprang up. Life on Earth had begun” (Onondaga 18), it is through the combined efforts of gods and animals that life found its beginning. Likewise, the Modoc attributed their origins to the love shared between a sky spirit and her grizzly mate as described, “When she became a young woman, she and the eldest son of the grizzly bears were married. In the years that followed they had many children” (Modoc 21). What is clear through both versions of these myths is that both cultures believe firmly that life cannot exist without the help of animals. In a sense life is owed to the active participation of animals and it is man’s obligation to always remember this connection. These myths also help to explain the tribe’s religious beliefs. For instance the Onondaga strongly believe in the power of dreams as they describe, “There was an ancient chief in the Skyland…It is clearly a dream of great power and as is our way, when one has such a dream we must do all we can to make it true!”(Onondaga 17), correspondingly the Modoc reveal a belief in a willful god when they cite, “When he found a grown woman instead, and learned that the strange creatures she was taking care of were his grandchildren, he became very angry. A new race had been created!”(Modoc 21). This is important because while the Onondaga believe in the power of dreams, the Modoc believe in the power of an angry god. This shows that each tribe has a distinct philosophy about how their lives are governed; the Onondaga value the individual’s role in determining their lives fate while the Modoc assign blame to the hands of an angry god. The origin myths not only tell future generations how life began according to the differing tribe they also reveal the religious values of each distinct tribe.
Origin myths not only reveal religious perspectives they also provide specific information about a tribe’s customs and natural phenomena for the purpose of educating others.
Notably the Onondaga value animals when they state, “So the birds and animals decided that someone would have to bring up Earth. One by one they tried” (Onondaga 17). On the other hand the Modoc do not revere animals as much as their myth explains “’Get down on your hands and knees. You have wronged me, and from this moment all of you will walk on four feet and never talk again’” (Modoc 21). This is significant because these details allow the reader to determine a major difference between these tribes as the Onondaga appreciate animals while the Modoc consider them inferior. This distinction allows for future generations to understand each of tribes more deeply and appreciate the legacy they leave behind. Additionally these myths help others understand how the tribes explained natural phenomena; in particular when the Onondaga explain how turtles received their markings, “They brought the Muskrat over to the Great Turtle and placed her paw against his back. To this day there are marks at the back of the Turtle’s shell” (Onondaga 18). Similarly, the Modoc explain why volcanoes erupt when they state, “He made a big fire in the center of the mountain and a hole on the top so that the smoke and sparks could fly out” (Modoc 19). This is relevant since these details reveal how each tribe found creative ways to explain the remarkable world around them. This is also vital because through these details it further reinforces how their lives were surrounded by events they could not readily explain and in explaining these natural phenomena the tribes are able to reveal details about their lives. Altogether myths help to reveal the untold of mysteries of cultures long
extinct.
Origin myths for generations have contributed much to society. They explain how life began according to different tribes and their religious values which otherwise would have been lost forever. They also reveal how tribes explain how the natural world around them came to be. Therefore Native American myths have helped future generations discover what these ancient cultures were like by showing different perspectives of life and values.

Works Cited
Prentice Hall Literature. Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002. Print.