Journal for Pima "Stories of Creation"

Jessie Akers-Bell

12/12/11

Author Quote: "In the beginning there was no earth, no water-- nothing," (Norton 22).

Internet Quote: "We do not inherit the land from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children," (Native American Proverb).

Summary: The first quote says at the beginning of time there was nothing to be found. In the second quote is saying that it is your children who you take the land from and what ever you do with it will effect your children.

My Ideas: The first quote strikes me as very similar to Gods creation story, the creation story I grew up with. It annoys me when people hate on Christians and say that there isn't any similarity between their beliefs and mine, and then when they start to talk about their beliefs, I see all sorts of similarities. Then when I point out these similarities the people who I'm talking to say I'm lying, or something to that effect. The Pima's story of creation is very similar to the story of "and on the first day he" did this and on the second day he did that, and on, and on, and on. I did enjoy this way of creation, it made me think "well what if God's creation story was like this?" or any number of other questions like that.

The Second quote I think is very relevant to today and the author quote, because that was a theme I sensed with the Pima's creation story. I wish it was applied more today, people are starting to think this way (sorry for this connection but it's all I can think of right now) it is a lot like the people in the show "Whale Wars" on Animal Planet. The crew of the two anti- whaler ships chase after Japaneses whalers in the Antarctica waters trying to stop them from killing so many whales, so that whale will be around for younger generations. So, in a sense, we are borrowing the world from our children and other future generations.