Hi there! Welcome to Stories That Made Us. This week, we talk about the creation myths of the Creeks, Crows, and Diegueno. They are all Native American tribes of the United States. 

The first story is of the Creeks, also known as Muskogee. They are made up of several tribes that had originally lived in the states of Georgia and Alabama. They were a part of the "five civilized tribes" - others being Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminole. 

They lived a sedentary life, and their livelihoods predominantly consisted of agriculture. They were notorious during the early years of American settlement. The 1813 war between the United States and the Red Stick faction of the Creek Nation was particularly disastrous. The Creeks were responsible for the sacking of Fort Mims, killing nearly 400 settlers. In retaliation, General Andrew Jackson defeated the Red Sticks and exacted a secession of 23 million acres of land from the tribes. After Jackson became the President, he forcibly removed the Creeks to Oklahoma, prying them from their native lands in Alabama and Georgia. 

The tale we will be discussing is told by Muskeke Iskwew, a Creek medicine woman. It is a story of how peace and harmony first reigned between animals and humans. Eventually, human greed disrupted this harmony and caused many of the problems that we face today. The underlying belief is the sacredness of animals, and the destruction and corruption brought about by humans to Creation.

The second story is of the Crow. These Native American people call themselves Apsaalooke, meaning "children of the large-beaked bird" or Absarkoes, which means "sparrow hawks". They are a member of the Siouan family and live predominantly on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana. The Crow Nation originally comprised of over 38 million acres, but it shrank to less than 2.2 million acres after treaties with the United States government. Their creation myth, like many Native American stories, tell an earth diver story where the world is discovered by ducks that dived underwater to find land. The story also involves a creator and a trickster. In this tale, the creator is Old Man Coyote, and the trickster is Little coyote.

The final story is of the Diegueno. Also known as San Diegueno, they are a group of Yuman speaking Native Americans who originally lived on either side of the Mexican and the United States border, comprising of Californian and Baja Californian lands. They were named after the mission of San Diego. The coastal tribespeople mostly lived on fish and mollusks, while the inland Diegueno engaged in agriculture. They were known for handicrafts such as pottery and baskets.

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The music used for the episodes are either free to use, or under creative commons license. Below are their links and attributions -

Flickering

Artist: VYEN

Source: YouTube Audio Library

On Foot

Artist: Underbelly & Ty Mayer

Source: YouTube Audio Library

Etherial Choir Ascends

Artist: Doug Maxwell/Media Right Productions

Source: YouTube Audio Library

Emerald Therapy by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Artist: http://audionautix.com/

30 Second Classical by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Over Time by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Pinckney

Artist: The 126ers

Source: YouTube Audio Library

Accralate - The Dark Contenent by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100341

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Waking to Reality

Artist: Unicorn Heads

Source: YouTube Audio Library

Earthly Destiny

Artist: Sir Cubworth

Source: YouTube Audio Library

Apocalypse

Artist: SYBS

Source: YouTube Audio Library

Ashton Manor - Stings by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300043

Artist: http://incompetech.com/