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N this activity, you will answer questions about the Cherokee creation story "How the World Was Made," which was featured in the video.

Part A
Which elements of the story suggest that it is an earth diver creation story?

1 Answer

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We can see here that in the Cherokee creation story, "How the World Was Made," some of the elements that align with the characteristics of an earth diver creation story are:

  • Primordial Water
  • The Diving Animals

In the story, before the creation of the earth, there was only water. This parallels the common element in earth diver creation myths where the world begins as a formless or watery abyss.

The story involves the search for mud from the bottom of the water. In the Cherokee narrative, different animals dive down into the water to retrieve mud to form the earth. The diving animals play a role in bringing up the mud used to create the land, akin to the earth-diving motif found in such creation myths.

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