The Creation of Man and Woman

A Pima Indian Legend by: Carlie Lamiroy

After Earthmaker made the Earth, he rubbed his breast and in doing so, made two little dolls, which he placed on the Earth and gave life.

These were the first human beings, Man and Woman, and they were perfect. They had children, and their children had children, and there was no sickness on this first Earth, and everyone was young.

Soon, they filled the Earth, and there was no food, so the people began killing and eating each other. Earthmaker did not like this, and let the sky fall to kill them.

When the sky dropped, he took his staff and dug a hole through it so that he and the first creature, Buzzard, could escape. On top of the sky, Earthmaker made a whole new Earth, and made Man and Woman, the same as before. But Man and Woman became grey when old, and their children became grey younger still, until babies grew grey in their cradles.

Earthmaker did not want his people to become grey so young, and so again allowed the sky to fall, digging a hole to allow himself and Buzzard to escape, just as before. He created a new Earth, and Man and Woman, the same as before.

But the new Man and Woman developed a bad smoking habit, and their children developed one earlier than they, and their children even younger, until babies were smoking in their cradles.

Earthmaker did not like this, and again dropped the sky on them and dug himself and Buzzard out, just as before.

He made a fourth Earth, and another Man and another Woman, except that this time he made them just as humans are now.