Turtle Island: The Story of North America's First People
The Beginning Turtle Island ØØÙ From the Haudenosaunee Tradition The Story of Sky Woman Long before the world was created there was an island in the sky where the Sky People lived One day a tree toppled over and tore a hole in the sky A pregnant Sky Woman grew curious about the hole She came near so near that she tumbled through the opening She grabbed at tobacco and strawberry plants but they didn’t stop her fall She was still clutching the tobacco and strawberries when a flock of birds swooped to catch her The birds set her down on the Great Turtle’s back Other animals dove to the ocean floor and brought mud up to the surface They packed the mud on the Great Turtle’s back Over and over they dove down until they had brought up enough mud to make room for trees and plants to grow Then they dove some more When they were finished they had made a whole world on the Great Turtle’s back Sky Woman gave birth and when she did she became the mother of the people The land has been called Turtle Island ever since 6 the BeGinninG
The Haudenosaunee who live around the Great Lakes have told Sky Woman’s story for countless generations Turtle Island is what they call the land that was created thanks to Sky Woman and the Great Turtle Of course many other groups of people have lived in North America each of them with their own name for their home 7
North America Pacific Ocean Atlantic Ocean 8
Chapter 1 Finding Our Way to the Past The Way to Turtle Island g The Story Myths Tell g The Story Science Tells g The Story Your Imagination Tells g Together they are a path that takes us into the past 9
