BY: PHIL PRESTON

INDIAN TIME - VOLUME 22 - NUMBER 17 - APRIL 29, 2004 EDITION

When Sky Woman arrived in this ocean-covered world, she needed to create land on which to live. Already pregnant since before she even left the Sky World, she then gave birth to a daughter. In brief, this daughter became pregnant by the Beings in the West Winds and then died giving birth to her twin boys. The first-born twin was born in the usual way, the second born chose another exit from his mother's body, unnatural, causing her death.

As the boys matured they began creating things and forming up the land. Many of our plants were already here having been brought by their Grandmother, Sky Woman, but the boys continued to create more plant life and all the animals we know today. Often the mischievous second-born twin (named Shawiskera) would try to copy what his brother (Teharoniawakon) created. However, Shawiskera had a bent mind and could never successfully copy his brother's creations. This actually created a balance in nature. For instance, Teharoniawakon created animals that would end up being the prey to animals Shawiskera created. Shawiskera bent the straight calm rivers his brother created and filled them with cataracts and rapids here and there. In the end, a balance in nature was created as the twin boys themselves balanced each other by resolving a fight with an agreement. Teharoniawakon would rule in the day, Shawiskera in the night.

When Teharoniawakon created all the original races of human beings he put us all here together. Unfortunately, through our own free will we could not get along with each other. To solve this problem, Teharoniawakon split the land separating us by water. All the Onkwehonwe were kept here in what we call North and South America. The rest were moved to the other continents hoping that by the time the others figured out how to return here they would have learned how to get along with each other and us. After all this creation was finished, Teharoniawakon told us that everything was here that we would ever need or want in life. It is for us. From that time on he told us to refer to him as Shonkwaiatison, (the one who created us; our Creator). All he asked from us was to say thank you and show our gratitude in action.

This gratitude to our natural world and the Beings that affect us is the basis of all Haudenosaunee thought, philosophy and ways of life. It is very simple. However, expression of gratitude is not complete with words only, but needs to be backed up with action. Through the immense forces of colonization our minds often become clouded to where we say one thing, but act in another way often without even realizing. It is a painful and frustrating process to change.