One of the most important stories shared by a community is the story of its beginning. Creation stories help a people place themselves within the larger context of the world-they often explain the origin of the Earth and a peoples' unique place within it. More universally, creation stories also seek to clarify the as-yet unclear origin of human consciousness. In this week's Field Notes, you will examine a creation story from your own indigenous identity and compare it with another creation story.
To prepare for this assignment:
- Identify a creation story associated with your indigenous identity.
- Identify a second creation story, either found in the Learning Resources, online, or from further back in your heritage.
- Compare and contrast the two creation stories and reflect upon what keeps these stories alive and meaningful over time.
The assignment:
- Compose a 1- to 2-page paper in which you do the following:
- Compare the two creation stories that you have identified, noting common themes and universal elements.
- Be sure to describe how rituals, key symbols, and metaphors sustain your culture's story or stories.