The creation of the world has been a mystifying and argumentable debate ever since human beings have been thinking and communicating. In this day of age, our society has been presented with many theories and stories from many religions. The impact of religion has surely redefined our grasp of such theories. This definitely pertains to the old Native American culture as well. Europeans first gave sight to these people when Columbus first reached America in 1492. Because of the impact of the Europeans on the Native Americans since they first arrived in the Americas, the Native American people have reshaped their perceptions of the beginning of the world. As Christian beliefs were shared, the Native American creation stories have been modified by such beliefs as more influence of the Christian culture was presented to them. This is shown from the creation stories of The New Netherlands (1650), the Ottawa Society (1720), and the Sioux (1935), which all increase in the value of Christian influence.
The New Netherland Indians were one of the first that actually encountered the Europeans. In their creation story, they believe that God and a beautiful woman were the first things of time. After that, there was water everywhere and the beautiful woman created land. They also believed that this woman gave birth to the creatures. The first creatures that she gave labour to were a deer, a bear, and a wolf. The New Netherland Indians believe that human beings were born with the nature of the attributes of either these 3 animals: either timid and innocent like the beer, brave like the bear, or deceitful like the wolves. This is one of the earliest accounts of Native American Creation Stories.
As time passes and the Native Americans have more confrontation with the Europeans, their stories change to their liking. The Ottawa Society believed that the Earth first had animals, but that they all died. From this, the Great Hare creates man from the corpses of these animals. Christian influence is shown as they add in the story of Adam and Eve. Their story tells of man being made first, and that man is scared of God. This also relates to Adam and Eve as the Great Hare later gives man woman, and the Great Hare, substituting like God, explains the roles of man and woman together.
Now in the 20th century, when Native Americans have been fully adapted to the culture of the Europeans, creation stories from the Indians have become even more parallel to Christian beliefs. The Sioux Story depicts the world around Noah's Ark, and how there was a first world that was not pleasing to the creator. Like Noah's Ark, the creator, or in this case the Creating Power, floods the Earth. He makes the world again with animals as his tools and like the story of Noah's Ark, he states that there would be no more floods but warns of the people. This story reflects the Christian creation story the most as these people have been around the Europeans the longest out of these three tribes.
