Creation stories shared by Canada’s Aboriginal People
 Who are the first people?
 How did the first people come to be in the Americas?
 How did life on Earth begin?
 There are different ideas about the origins of the First
People. Many First Nations believe that the First
People were placed in North America by the Creator.
All First Nations people have similar stories. Elders
pass their people’s history from one generation to
another through stories.
 Here is an example…
 Read Aloud
 Listen to the Haida Creation Story, point form notes
are provided for you. Your task is to add a picture that
may help you to remember the story.
 The basic premises of Native American creation
mythology are intertwined with the natural world and
frequently include animals that act as creators,
messengers, protectors, guardians, and advisers. They
were often thought to possess human qualities and
had the ability to speak, think, and act like humans.
Animals such as the coyote, bear, raven, spider, and
turtle are often found in stories recounting the origin
of a tribe. They were thought of as spiritual guides or
important players in the community's daily existence.
 An origin story that includes the Raven is that of the
Haida tribe, whose homeland is located in present-day
British Columbia. To the Haida, Raven is the Bringer of
Light. This is one version of their tale.
 One day, long ago, Raven was on a desolate beach.
Alone, he needed company and came upon a half-open
clamshell. When he examined the shell, he saw tiny
people inside. The people were shy and slowly peeked
out of the shell. "Come out! Come out!" called Raven.
The tiny beings opened the shell and climbed onto the
sandy earth. These were the first Haida.
A STRATEGY FOR SUMMARIZING A STORY
SOMEBODY
WANTED
BUT
SO
- Who?
- Plot
- Conflict or
challenge the
‘somebody’ faces
Outcome or
Resolution
- Main
character(s)
- Motivation that
“somebody” is
involved in
 One day, long ago, Raven was on a desolate beach.
Alone, he needed company and came upon a half-open
clamshell. When he examined the shell, he saw tiny
people inside. The people were shy and slowly peeked
out of the shell. "Come out! Come out!" called Raven.
The tiny beings opened the shell and climbed onto the
sandy earth. These were the first Haida.
Somebody
Wanted
But
So
A STRATEGY FOR SUMMARIZING A STORY
SOMEBODY
WANTED
BUT
SO
- Raven
- “needed
company”
- ‘the people were
shy and slowly
peeked out of the
shell,
Raven called’
“Come out. Come
Out!”
- He was lonely!
- A friend
Use this to complete a summary paragraph
The Beings
climbed out and
became the first
Haida people
 The Haida people believe that Raven needed company.
Suddenly he noticed a shell full of little beings. At first
3 them out. The beings
the beings were shy soLevel
he called
came out and became the first Haida people.
 The Haida people believed that there creator was a
Raven. This Raven possessed human-like qualities. The
Raven lived on the Earth by itself and eventually
became lonely. One day
while4 lying on the beach a
Level
clam shell washed ashore; it was full of tiny beings.
Raven called them out, joined Raven and became the
first people of Haida. They still believe that Raven is
their creator and protector.