Iroquois/Navajo/Trickster

They are known as the Six Nations or the "People of the Longhouse." Their longhouses were large wooden dwellings that accommodated multiple families under one roof, symbolizing community and unity.

Who are the Iroquois historically known as, and what is the significance of their traditional dwellings?

• Lower World: Consisted of total darkness and was ruled by a great monster.

• Upper World: Inhabited by mankind and where the pregnant woman fell asleep before sinking down into the lower world.

Describe the two worlds at the beginning of the Iroquois creation story.

He is the Good Mind. He wanted to bring light to the dark world. He used his dead mother's body to create the sun and moon, made the stars, rivers, and animals, and formed humans out of dust (Eagwehowe) to take care of the Great Island.

Who is Enigorio, and what are his major actions in the creation story?

He is the Bad Mind. He wanted the world to remain dark. He created steep mountains, dangerous reptiles, made humans out of clay (which turned into apes), and tried to trap all the animals away from mankind.

Who is Enigonhahetgea, and how does he try to undo his brother's creations?

The Good Mind deceives and kills the Bad Mind using deer horns. Before sinking down to become the evil spirit, the Bad Mind's final words declare that he will have equal power over human souls after death.

How does the battle between the Good Mind and the Bad Mind end?

It is a progressive creation story occurring in 4 or 5 distinct stages/worlds. It emphasizes the constant work required to maintain balance and harmony among people, including the relationship between husband and wife.

How is the overall structure of the Navajo creation story framed?

They are the first five pairs of twins born to First Man and First Woman. They represent individuals who bend traditional gender roles (such as men performing women's work), helping to sustain harmony.

What are Nadleeh in the Navajo tradition?

Immoral behavior and adultery. Each time they ruin the harmony of a world, the guardians or indigenous allies force them out, or they are chased out by a punishing flood, forcing them to climb higher.

What causes the Nilchi Dinee (spiritual insect-like beings) to be exiled from the first three worlds?

After the Dinee purify themselves, the deities create First Man and First Woman out of corn and buckskin, matching the image of the Holy People.

How are the first true human-like man and woman created in the Fourth World?

First Man and First Woman get into a massive fight. The men take everything and leave the women. The women do fine at first but eventually face starvation and miss the men. They ultimately reconcile and rejoin each other.

What causes the great marital separation in the Fourth World, and how does it end?

Coyote steals the water monster’s daughter, causing a massive flood. To escape, a young man plants seeds that grow into a tall reed reaching the sky. The people climb through the reed to escape the rising wave.

How do the people escape to the Fifth World, and why did they have to leave?

Coyote argues that if humans do not die, they will eventually overrun the world and deplete its resources.

According to Coyote in the Fifth World, why must humans experience death?

First Man finds an infant girl who matures in 4 days. She marries the Sun and gives birth to twin boys, who successfully hunt down and destroy the monsters.

Who rids the Fifth World of the dangerous monsters that were eating humans?

The rainbow is a reminder of the sacredness of the land. The Holy People promise protection only if the Dinee remain within the strict geographic boundaries and live in the manner prescribed for them.

What is the significance of the sacred rainbow and the geographic boundaries in the Navajo conclusion?

The Trickster represents absolute hubris and foolishness. He defies nature but relies on it. The main lesson is humility: do not be gullible, and never think of yourself as superior to natural forces.

What does the Winnebago Trickster character represent, and what is the main lesson of his narrative?

The bulb says, "He who chews me, he will defecate." The Trickster arrogantly assumes this is a lie, ignores the warning, and eats the bulb out of curiosity.

What warning does the talking bulb give the Trickster, and how does he respond?

He begins breaking wind so forcefully that he is repeatedly shot high into the air, almost dying. He even tricks a village into piling heavy wood on him to hold him down, but his flatulence scatters their homes.

What happens to the Trickster immediately after eating the bulb?

He begins to defecate uncontrollably until he falls directly into his own excrement. He runs blindly until the trees speak to him and guide him to water, allowing him to clean himself. Without the trees, he would have died.

How does the Trickster’s physical trial conclude, and who saves him?