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Call me an adult with an overactive imagination, a dreamer or a delusional geek but sometimes I just can’t help but wonder … What would my backyard look like if Earth was a little closer to the Orion Nebula?

Ah, now that’s worth pulling out the deck chairs and a pondering over a tequila sunrise.

Hubble’s Sharpest View of the Orion Nebula:
The Orion Nebula is a cavern of tumultuous gas and dust where thousands of stars are forming. The energy released by the young stars transforms their place of birth, whipping their surroundings into fantastic forms.

Traditional Northwest Coast Creation Story

In the beginning, people did not have a sun, and had to live by starlight.

This made things very difficult for everyone, including raven, who was tired of the fly by night business…

A powerful and wealthy aristocrat, who was also a chief, owned the sun and the moon. He was very greedy.

He kept the sun and moon in boxes in his house, like they were prized possessions to be hidden away.

After a nasty crash into another tree in the dark, raven was very angry. Who does this chief think he is that he can own the sun and the moon, and keep the rest of us in the dark, he cawed with righteous indignation. Raven paid a visit to the chief with the sun and the moon. After observing the scene from a perch high in a tree, he noticed that the chief had a daughter and that the boxes with the moon and sun were kept in the house. He thought up a strategy and set his tricks in motion…

When the chief’s daughter went to get water from the stream, raven turned himself into a very small cedar branch and floated into her basket of water. When she drank from it, he impregnated her with himself. The new baby raven was immaculate in every way. He was born a healthy baby boy, who looked like a miniature of his new grandfather, who couldn’t have been more pleased.

Like just about all Tlingit grandparents, the chief was obliging and kind to his new grandchild, and spoiled baby raven. For the first time in his life, someone else was more important than himself…

Nothing was denied his grandson, and raven delighted in spilling food on his grandfather, pulling his mustache hair out and screaming at him when he wasn’t fast enough serving him. Baby raven also got a special pleasure from rubbing mud on his grandfathers’ finest robes while sitting on his lap. Raven laughed openly at his grandfather, who was grumbling to himself while cleaning up the mess.

The only thing the chief denied his grandson was to play with the box of daylight. By this time, raven was very, very good at throwing fierce tantrums that made his grandfather shake. The chief was weary of the scenes and finally one day acquiesced to baby raven. Raven snatched the sun from the box and darted out of the smoke hole in the ceiling with it.

The chief could not find the sun anywhere…

Raven was white before he stole the sun… his trip through the smoke hole with the sun transformed him into the black creature, as he is today. He paid a price for his audacity. Every time I see raven I think of the price he paid, and how it does not seem to bother him much, since he is still behaving with a kind of goofy abandon that only a trickster at heart possesses. Maybe the price we pay has more to do with how we respond to a situation in life than the price itself.

As he soared home in the first light of the new day, the only thing he could think of was, “I’m going to miss teasing the old fart… was that a moon I saw in the other box?”

Source: http://www.larrymcneil.com/Raven/raven.htm

Karok

A great many hundred snows ago, Kareya, sitting on the Sacred Stool, created the world. First, he made the fishes in the Big Water, then the animals on the green land, and last of all, Man! But at first the animals were all alike in power. No one knew which animals should be food for others, and which should be food for man. Then Kareya ordered them all to meet in one place, that Man might give each his rank and his power. So the animals all met together one evening, when the sun was set, to wait overnight for the coming of Man on the next morning. Kareya also commanded Man to make bows and arrows, as many as there were animals, and to give the longest one to the animal which was to have the most power, and the shortest to the one which should have least power. So he did, and after nine sleeps his work was ended, and the bows and arrows which he had made were very many.

Now the animals, being all together, went to sleep, so they might be ready to meet Man on the next morning. But Coyote was exceedingly cunning – he was cunning above all the beasts. Coyote wanted the longest bow and the greatest power, so he could have all the other animals for his meat. He decided to stay awake all night, so that he would be first to meet Man in the morning. So he laughed to himself and stretched his nose out on his paw and pretended to sleep. About midnight he began to be sleepy. He had to walk around the camp and scratch his eyes to keep them open. He grew more sleepy, so that he had to skip and jump about to keep awake. But he made so much noise, he awakened some of the other animals. When the morning star came up, he was too sleepy to keep his eyes open any longer. So he took two little sticks, and sharpened them at the ends, and propped open his eyelids. Then he felt safe. He watched the morning star, with his nose stretched along his paws, and fell asleep. The sharp sticks pinned his eyelids fast together.

The morning star rose rapidly into the sky. The birds began to sing. The animals woke up and stretched themselves, but still Coyote lay fast asleep. When the sun rose, the animals went to meet Man. He gave the longest bow to Cougar, so he had greatest power; the second longest he gave to Bear; others he gave to the other animals, giving all but the last to Frog. But the shortest one was left. Man cried out, “What animal have I missed?” Then the animals began to look about and found Coyote fast asleep, with his eyelids pinned together. All the animals began to laugh, and they jumped upon Coyote and danced upon him. Then they led him to Man, still blinded, and Man pulled out the sharp sticks and gave him the shortest bow of all. It would hardly shoot an arrow farther than a foot. All the animals laughed.

But Man took pity on Coyote, because he was now weaker even than Frog. So at his request, Kareya gave him cunning, ten times more than before, so that he was cunning above all the animals of the wood. Therefore Coyote was friendly to Man and his children, and did many things for them.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/ca/mlcal.txt

Pima

A long time ago, the bluebird was a very ugly color. But Bluebird knew of a lake where no river flowed in or out, and he bathed in this four times every morning for four mornings. Every morning he sang a magic song:

There’s a blue water. It lies there.
I went in.
I am all blue.

On the fourth morning Bluebird shed all his feathers and came out of the lake just in his skin. But the next morning when he came out of the lake he was covered with blue feathers.

Now all this while Coyote had been watching Bluebird. He wanted to jump in and get him to eat, but he was afraid of the water. But on that last morning Coyote said,

“How is it you have lost all your ugly color, and now you are blue and gay and beautiful? You are more beautiful than anything that flies in the air. I want to be blue, too.” Now Coyote at that time was a bright green.

“I only went in four times on four mornings,” said Bluebird. He taught Coyote the magic song, and he went in four times, and the fifth time he came out as blue as the little bird.

Then Coyote was very, very proud because he was a blue coyote. He was so proud that as he walked along he looked around on every side to see if anybody was looking at him now that he was a blue coyote and so beautiful. He looked to see if his shadow was blue, too. But Coyote was so busy watching to see if others were noticing him that he did not watch the trail. By and by he ran into a stump so hard that it threw him down in the dirt and he was covered with dust all over. You may know this is true because even to-day coyotes are the color of dirt.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/ca/mlcal.txt

Sia

Now all the Cloud People, the Lightning People, the Thunder and Rainbow Peoples followed the Sia into the upper world. But all the people of Tinia, the middle world, did not leave the lower world. Only a portion were sent by the Spider to work for the people of the upper world. The Cloud People are so many that, although the demands of the earth people are so great, there are always many passing about over Tinia for pleasure. These Cloud People ride on wheels, small wheels being used by the little Cloud children and large wheels by the older ones. (5)

The Cloud People keep always behind their masks. The shape of the mask depends upon the number of the people and the work being done. The Henati are the floating white clouds behind which the Cloud People pass for pleasure. The Heash are clouds like the plains and behind these the Cloud People are laboring to water the earth. Water is brought by the Cloud People, from the springs at the base of the mountains, in gourds and jugs and vases by the men, women, and children. They rise from the springs and pass through the trunk of the tree to its top, which reaches Tinia. They pass on to the point to be sprinkled.

The priest of the Cloud People is above even the priests of the Thunder, Lightning, and Rainbow Peoples. The Cloud People have ceremonials, just like those of the Sia. On the altars of the Sia may be seen figures arranged just as the Cloud People sit in their ceremonials.

When a priest of the Cloud People wishes assistance from the Thunder and Lightning Peoples, he notifies their priests, but keeps a supervision of all things himself.

Then the Lightning People shoot their arrows to make it rain the harder. The smaller flashes come from the bows of the children. The Thunder People have human forms, with wings of knives, and by flapping these wings they make a great noise. Thus they frighten the Cloud and Lightning People into working the harder.

The Rainbow People were created to work in Tinia to make it more beautiful for the people of Ha-arts, the earth, to look upon. The elders make the beautiful rainbows, but the children assist. The Sia have no idea of what or how these bows are made. They do know, however, that war heroes always travel upon the rainbows.

(5) The Indians say the Americans also ride wheels, therefore they must have known about the Cloud People.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/ca/mlcal.txt

Zuni

The priest who was named Yanauluha carried ever in his hand a staff which now in the daylight was plumed and covered with feathers – yellow, blue-green, red, white, black, and varied. Attached to it were shells, which made a song-like tinkle. The people when they saw it stretched out their hands and asked many questions.

Then the priest balanced it in his hand, and struck with it a hard place, and blew upon it. Amid the plumes appeared four round things-mere eggs they were. Two were blue like the sky and two dun-red like the flesh of the Earth-mother.

Then the people asked many questions.,

“These,” said the priests, “are the seed of living beings. Choose which ye will follow. From two eggs shall come beings of beautiful plumage, colored like the grass and fruits of summer. Where they fly and ye follow, shall always be summer. Without toil, fields of food shall flourish. And from the other two eggs shall come evil beings, piebald, with white, without colors. And where these two shall fly and ye shall follow, winter strives with summer. Only by labor shall the fields yield fruit, and your children and theirs shall strive for the fruits. Which do ye choose?”

“The blue! The blue!” cried the people, and those who were strongest carried off the blue eggs, leaving the red eggs to those who waited. They laid the blue eggs with much gentleness in soft sand on the sunny side of a hill, watching day by day. They were precious of color; surely they would be the precious birds of the Summer-land. Then the eggs cracked and the birds came out, with open eyes and pin feathers under their skins.

“We chose wisely,” said the people. “Yellow and blue, red and green, are their dresses, even seen through their skins.” So they fed them freely of all the foods which men favor. Thus they taught them to eat all desirable food. But when the feathers appeared, they were black with white bandings. They were ravens. And they flew away croaking hoarse laughs and mocking our fathers.

But the other eggs became beautiful macaws, and were wafted by a toss of the priest’s wand to the faraway Summer-land.

So those who had chosen the raven, became the Raven People. They were the Winter People and they were many and strong. But those who had chosen the macaw, became the Macaw People. They were the Summer People, and few in number, and less strong, but they were wiser because they were more deliberate. The priest Yanauluha, being wise, became their father, even as the Sun-father is among the little moons of the sky. He and his sisters were the ancestors of the priest-keepers of things.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/ca/mlcal.txt

Creek

A Tadpole and a Crawfish traveling about met and began abusing each other. The Crawfish called the other Tadpole-big-belly, and the Tadpole called him Crawfish-small-legs. Then the Tadpole said, “It is because I ate some watermelons raised by my grandmother,” and the Crawfish said, “I travel with small legs because my grandmother had my legs tied up.” They kept on abusing each other until they fought. Then a Snail who sat looking ran to tell some one. As he was saying, “Crawfish and Tadpole are fighting,” he came out of his shell, and a crow picked him up and flew off with him.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/se/mtsi/mtsi247.htm

Creek

An orphan was traveling about hunting but killed nothing; he went on and crossed a river. He traveled with an old gun, for he was very poor. He killed nothing, and nobody liked him very much. Once he stayed with people at a distance from home who said, “Go on hunting,” and he set out. He put a pack on his back, reached a big thicket that night, and sat down there. “I do not believe I shall kill anything,” he said, as he sat there with his legs drawn up. While he was sitting there he heard a noise. The noise was made by a Pigeon Hawk which came and perched between his knees. And a Horned Owl came in pursuit and stood on the other side of the fire. Then the Hawk said to the man, “Take hold of me.” So the man laid hold of him and sat there with him. The Horned Owl said, “Throw him over to me. I want to kill him.” But the

[paragraph continues] Hawk answered, “No; don’t do it.” “Throw him over to me,” said the Horned Owl, “and you will be able to kill things just as I kill him.” “No,” answered the Hawk, “My way of going about is very, very good.” But the Horned Owl kept teasing to have him. Then the Hawk said, “This Horned Owl that talks so is a wizard–he who says ‘you will be able to kill something as I do.’ Don’t throw me over to him and when day comes I will give you good hunting.” Then the man who could not kill anything said he wanted to be able to, and he remained where he was until day. When it was daylight the Horned Owl hooted and flew off and sat upon the top of a tree. “Now let me go,” said the Hawk. The man let the Hawk go and he screamed and flew off. He flew up, turned, and coming down threw the Horned Owl down quickly by cutting off his neck. The Hawk said, “By daylight I can whip you.” Then he returned to the camp and said, “Now, I am very happy. Anything you want I will do for you,” and he disappeared.

After that the man picked up his gun and started on. And after making a very short circuit he came back. He killed bear, deer, turkey, and all kinds of game and brought them to camp, after which he stayed there roasting them. Then he was very happy. He did not have to go far because he missed nothing. He stayed there enjoying all sorts of good things. Then the other people were angry with him on account of his success.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/se/mtsi/mtsi233.htm

Creek Myth

Opossum was walking along and killed a wolf. He skinned it and roasted the meat. He put this into a basket and was carrying it along when he met other Wolves, who said, “What have you got?” “Nothing at all. My grandmother said, ‘If you get some clay I will make an earthen pot for you,’ and that is what I have.” “All right,” they answered.

A one-eyed Wolf followed hint, however, saying, “I will not stop until I see what it is.” So the one-eyed Wolf went around in front and met him again, saying, “What have you there?” “Nothing at all. My grandmother said, ‘If you get some clay I will make an earthen pot for you.’” “Well! I want to see it,” he said, and running forward he pulled down the basket and looked into it. He saw something roasted inside and shouted, “Look here, something roasted is in it,” upon which those who had gone ahead ran back and ate it.

After Opossum had waited a while, he said, “He has eaten himself.” And when he said, “He has eaten himself,” they said to one another, “Do you know he is saying that, ‘He has eaten himself,’ about us? Let us kill him.” But when they tried to kill him he ran away and got into a hole in the ground. While they were scratching to get him out a Skunk came along. “What have you there?” he said. “An Opossum has gotten in here,” they answered. “Well, I will pull him out for you and you can kill him.” So he went in out of sight. But before he did so he s aid to them, “When I say ‘i’ i’ i it is because I am bringing him out. Watch for him closely.” When he said “i’ i’ i’” they stood around looking closely. Then he threw his ordure right into their noses and it knocked them over, while the Opossum came out and escaped.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/se/mtsi/mtsi188.htm

Creek Myth

One time Rabbit met two Bison lying on opposite sides of a hill. He went to one of them and said, “Let us see which is stronger. Let us pull against each other. People always extol your strength. I am small but I believe I am stronger than you.” At first the Bison said, “I don’t bother with little things like you,” but finally he agreed

to pull against him. Then Rabbit went to the other Bison and made similar arrangements with him. He procured a grapevine, extended it across the hill to the two Bison, and stationed himself at the center. When he was ready he gave a whoop and the Bison began to pull against each other. First one Bison would pull his opponent nearly to the top of the hill and then the other would do the same to him, Rabbit whooping in the middle every little while.

But after a time the Bison began to think that something was wrong, so they walked around the hill and met. They said, “Rabbit has made sport of us. We will not let him drink any water out of our tank.” After a while, of course, Rabbit got very thirsty. Then he met a very pretty Deer and asked him for the loan of his shoes. He put them on and went down to the tank where the Bison were. He said to them, “I learn that you have forbidden the Rabbit to drink water here but I suppose you will let me.” They looked at his tracks and, seeing they were not those of a rabbit, said, “It is only Rabbit whom we have forbidden to drink here. He played us a trick. You may drink.” So Rabbit drank and, coming on back to the Deer, he pulled off his shoes, saying, “That is the way to deceive them.”

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/se/mtsi/mtsi055.htm