The Creation World According To The Mi’gmaq

As told by Stephen Augustine, Hereditary Chief of the Mi’kmaq Grand Council. His grandmother passed down this story to him. This is part of the Mi’kmaq Creation Story.

In Mi’gmaq tradition there are seven levels of creation. These levels correspond to seven stages in the creation of the world. The first level is the act of creation itself. Some people would call it the Creator, but in Mi’kmaq culture it is more about the wonder and unfolding of creation. The word we use is Kisu’lk. This means, “you are being created”. Kisu’lk is the Giver of Life.

The second level is the Sun, which we call Niskam, or Grandfather. When we stand in the Sun we cast a shadow. The shadow represents the spirits of our ancestors. Grandfather Sun puts spirit into life.

The third level is Sitqamu’k, Mother Earth. Mother Earth gives us all the necessities of life through the elements of the earth: water, rocks, soils, plants, animals, fish and so on. Mother Earth sustains life.

The fourth level of creation is Kluskap, the First-One-Who-Spoke. He is created from a bolt of lightning that hits the surface of Mother Earth. His is made of the elements of the earth: feathers and bone and skin and dirt and grass and sand and pebbles and water. An eagle comes to Kluskap with a message from the Giver of Life, Grandfather Sun and Mother Earth. The eagle tells Kluskap that he will be joined by his family, who will help him understand his place in this world.

The first of Kluskap’s family to arrive is the grandmother, Nukumi. She is formed from a rock. She brings wisdom and knowledge. The Grandmother is the fifth level of creation.

The next of Kluskap’s family to arrive is the nephew, Netawansum. He is formed from the sweet-smelling grass. He brings strength and can see into the future. The nephew is the sixth level of creation.

The last of Kluskap’s family to arrive is the Mother. Ni’kanaptekewi’sqw. She is formed from a leaf. She brings love for all her children, so that they will care for one another. She also brings the colours of the world. The Mother is the seventh level of creation.

As each member of his family arrives, Kluskap asks his fellow beings-the animals, the fish, and the plants-to sustain the Mi’kmaq peoples. Kluskap also calls upon the wind to fan the sparks left by the first bold of lightning. This gives birth to the Great Spirit Fire. The seven families of the Algonquin peoples are formed from the sparks that fly out of this fire and land upon the Earth. The Mi’kmaq are one of these families.