The Cherokee creation story describes how the world began as a floating island suspended from the sky by four cords. It was dark until animals created the sun to move across the sky each day. Only owls, panthers, cedars, pines, spruces and laurels stayed awake for seven nights as instructed and were given powers like night vision. Other plants lost their leaves in winter for disobeying. People were the last to be created but multiplied rapidly, so it was decided each woman would have only one child per year.

1. Creation Story Of the Cherokee Chizuru Aso, Monica Demaray, Valerie Brodkorb

2. Long ago, before there were any people, the earth was a great island floating in a sea of water, suspended by four cords hanging down from the sky vault, which was made of solid rock.

3. It was dark and the animals could not see, so they got the sun and set it in a track to go across the island every day from east to west, just overhead.

4. The Creator told the animals and plants to stay awake for seven nights. But only a few of the animals were able to, including owls and panthers, and they were rewarded with the power to go about in the dark.

5. Among the plants, only the cedars, pines, spruces, and laurels stayed awake, so they were allowed to remain green year-round and to provide the best medicines.

6. The Creator chided the other trees: "Because you have not endured to the end, you shall lose your hair every winter."

7. People appeared last, after the animals, the sun, and the plants, but they multiplied so quickly that they threatened to overrun the world.

8. So it was decided that each woman would have only one child a year, and it has been that way ever since.

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