Waynaboozhoo and the Great Flood
An Ojibwe legend, adapted from a story retold by Valerie Connors
Long ago the world was filled with evil. The Creator was unhappy about this and decided to cause a great flood to purify the earth.
A man named Waynaboozhoo survived. He turned some floating sticks and a log into a raft for the animals and himself. They floated around for a full moon waiting for the water to go down. It didn't, so Waynaboozhoo decided to do something about it.
"Maang!" he called to the loon. "You are an excellent swimmer. See if you can dive down to the Old World and bring back a lump of mud in your bill. With mud, I will create a New World." Maang dove into the water and was gone a long time. When he finally did return, he said, "I could not reach the Old World. It was too far down."
"Amik!" called Waynaboozhoo to the beaver. "You are an excellent swimmer. Will you try next?" Amik dove off and was gone even longer than Maang, but he too returned empty-handed.
"Is there anyone else who'll try?" asked Waynaboozhoo.
Many other animals tried, but failed. Just then a small coot, Aajigade, came swimming along and asked, "What's going on?" "Get away Aajigade," called one of the birds. "We do not have time for your nonsense."
Suddenly, there was shouting on the other end of the raft. Someone had noticed a small body floating in
the water. It was Aajigade. They brought his body to the raft.
Waynaboozhoo lifted him up, and looking in his small beak, he found a particle of mud. Little Aajigade had swam down, reached the Old World, and got the mud! He had given his life to do this.
Waynaboozhoo took Aajigade's little body and softly blew life back into him. Waynaboozhoo held him closely to warm him and announced that from that day forward, Aajigade would always retain a place of honor among the animals. Waynaboozhoo set Aajigade down on the water and he swam off as though nothing had happened.
Then Waynaboozhoo took Aajigade's mud in his hands and began to shape it. Next he commanded it to grow. As it grew, he needed a place to put it. Mikinaak (the snapping turtle) came forward and said, "I have a broad back. Place it here." Waynaboozhoo put it on Mikinaak's back so that it could grow larger.
"Miigwetch (thank you), Mikinaak," said Waynaboozhoo. "From this day on, you shall have the ability to live in all the worlds, under the mud, in the water, and on land."
The mud began to take the shape of land. It grew and grew, and more animals stepped onto it until finally it was large enough for moose to walk about.
At last, Waynaboozhoo stepped onto the New World. It had become a home, a place for all the animals, insects and birds, a place for all living things to live in harmony.
Source: "Legends Retold by Students Participating in the Anishinabe Teachers for Anishinabe Children Pre-College Program-Using Native American Legends to Teach Mathematics"