Hopi Creation Story

    In the beginning there was endless time and space, and Tawa the creator, contemplated it. He decided he wanted it filled with joyful sounds and joyful movements, so he created Sotuk in his image. Sotuk awoke and asked, “Who am I, and why am I here?”
    “You are Sotuk, my nephew, and I am Tawa, your uncle,” he tells him. “Within all this time and space, I’d like to hear joyful sounds and see joyful movements. You are here to create universes to carry out that plan.”
    “OK,” replies Sotuk, and he goes out and creates a universe for Tawa, one for himself, and seven others, all modeled after his uncle, each with an axis around which all form and equilibrium manifest.
    Sotuk returns to Tawa and asks, “How did I do?”
    “Perfect,” replies Tawa. “Now I want you to create life.”
    “OK,” and Sotuk goes out and creates the beautiful Mother Wuti. She awakes and asks, “Who am I, and why am I here?”
    “You are Mother Wuti,” he replies, and shows her the nine universes. “Tawa our creator would like to hear joyful sounds and see joyful movements, so you have been given the powers, wisdom, and love to bless all beings you create. This is why you are here.”
    Following his instructions, Mother Wuti mixes Earth with her spit, molds two beings, sings a song over them, and they come to life. “Who are we and why are we here?” they ask.
    “You are the Hoya Twins,” she replies, and shows them Earth. “You are to divide water from land and administer to Earth so it can ring with vibration, to transmit joyous sounds and joyous movements.”
    “OK,” replied the Hoya Twins, and they cast a grid from pole to pole for vibrations to run across the surface. The Earth awoke with laughter, and the entire universe quivered in tune with joy.
    The Hoya Twins return to Mother Wuti and ask, “How did we do?”
    “Perfect,” replies Mother Wuti, whereupon she dispatches them to the poles of Earth, to ensure that all remains in balance.
    Then Mother Wuti creates all animals and plants, and again sings over them, bringing them to life. Next she molds four figures, from four different colors of Earth--Black, Red, Yellow, and White--all in the image of nephew Sotuk; and finally she molds four more figures in her own image, making for pairs. Again she sings over them. She sings all the night and then, in the purple light of early dawn, the four pairs emerge, holding each other, their heads still soft and damp with dew.
    Soon the Sun appears, rises up, dries their heads and makes them hard. Mother Wuti noticed we were awake, but we could not talk, so she called to Sotuk. He appears and gives each of the four pairs their own language to speak. Then Mother Wuti informs us, “Up in the sky is your father the Sun, and this ground, and all the ground that makes up this world is your mother Earth. And the Sun and Earth and you--all of us--are apart of Tawa’s plan. Your role is to create joyful sounds and make joyful movements. With the ability to remember the past, examine the present, and imagine the future, you are asked to use you’re your reason and ability to create, to honor and respect your father and mother, and all life dependent upon them.