TURTLE ISLAND

 

Every child grows up with stories and myths, but do they grow up understanding the value of story and myth?   Especially beyond it’s need to be factual to be valuable.  Oh how I wish I could have understood that value as a child.  But stories either had to be true or false and the false ones never held as much importance as the “true” ones.  The whole value of story was shadowed by the need to convey the ‘truth”.  

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'Turtle Island' is the name for the lands now known as North and Central America. It is a name used by some Indigenous peoples who believe their land was formed on the back of a turtle.

Though regional versions exist, the core of this creation story relates to a time when the planet was covered in water. Different animals all tried to swim to the bottom of the ocean to bring back dirt to create land but they all failed. A muskrat was the last animal to attempt the task. The muskrat swam deep and remained under water for a long time. Eventually the muskrat resurfaced with some wet soil in its paws. Sadly the swim took the muskrat’s life, but Nanabush (a supernatural being who has the power to create life) took the soil and placed it on the back of a turtle. With this act, land began to form and so became Turtle Island. (deadlystory.com)

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The Turtle Island story is the story of my home, of the land where I was born.  This is why it is special for me. It needs no other validation to be significant.  I was born in Northern British Columbia, a province rich in their indigenous heritage.  As I write this, I am in British Columbia.  I have returned “home” this week to where I began my life’s journey.  I value the stories that have soaked this land.  I wish I could hear more.  

The turtle has become special to me because of this story.  I have two turtle pendants that I wear that remind me to stay grounded to this story and my homeland. Over time, more stories arise that make those turtles special.  The persistence of one such turtle is another story that reminds me to keep going regardless of the obstacles.  The story of the vulnerability of another turtle encourages me; it’s the one who in order to get somewhere has to first emerge from its shell.  

These turtle stories are valuable to me.  They don’t have to be factual to enrich my life.