Cheyenne Creation Story
In the beginning, all was water and nothing existed but the Creator Ma'heo'o and aquatic birds. The Creator sent various waterbirds—the loon, otter, beaver, and turtle—to dive to the bottom of the endless water to bring up mud. After several failures, the turtle succeeded in bringing up the primordial mud. From this mud, the Creator formed the earth. Then he created grass, trees, animals, and finally human beings. The Cheyenne emerged from beneath the earth onto the surface, guided by the Creator. The story teaches that all creation is interconnected and that humans must respect the earth as t