Sawiskera asked the onkwe honwe, “Who are you and where did you come from?”

The onkwe honwe answered, “I came to life in this place we are standing on.”

Sawiskera, then asked, “Who was it that created your body?”

The onkwe honwe answered, “The one who created me lives near here. Let us go and visit him. You will then meet the one who created my body.”

They then proceeded together toward the lodge of Teharonhia:wako.

After they had arrived and Sawiskera saw who it was, he asked his brother, Teharonhia:wako, “Was it you who created the body of this onkwe honwe whom I just met?”

Teharonhia:wako answered him, “I am the one who moulded the body of the onkwe honwe from the red earth where our mother lay.”

Sawiskera replied, “There is another thing that I want to ask you?”

“Who caused it to be daylight,” he asked?

Teharonhia:wako answered, “It is our grandmother’s elder brother who has returned from the upper side of the Sky World.”

Sawiskera was astonished as what he was hearing.

Teharonhia:wako then spoke and said, “My brother, let us go for a walk. You will then see the condition of the things that are growing on our mother’s body and which I have planted.”

They began to walk where the many fruits were growing. Suddenly various animals ran by them.

Sawiskera said to his brother, “It is amazing how quickly the things that you have planted have multiplied themselves.”

“How did you do it?” he asked.

Teharonhia:wako explained to him, “In the beginning the earth was small, and then it continued to expand and kept growing. This is how it will be for all life, including the game animals and the onkwe honwe. As they multiply, their numbers will also increase in size.”

Sawiskera replied, “I will return home to our grandmother’s lodge and tell her the wondrous things that I have seen.”

When Sawiskera arrived home, he said to his grandmother, “I have been across the water and have seen astonishing things over there. Teharonhia:wako told me that your older brother now gives light to the world.”

His grandmother answered, “It appears that my brother has kept his promise when he said that one day he would arrive and look for me.”

Sawiskera, feeling jealous of his brother’s work, said to her, “Do not worry, Grandmother; I will also make an onkwe honwe to inhabit this side of the world.”

Sawiskera then began working to create something like an onkwe honwe. He took some earth and molded it into what he thought an onkwe honwe should look like.

After it was composed, he said, “onkwe honwe, stand upright and walk.” Suddenly the creature leaped up and ran into the water immersing itself there. In a short time, he thrust out his head and looked around.

Sawiskera said to his creature, “Come over here and let me look at you.”

The creature did not answer or move.

Sawiskera then said to himself, “Perhaps I made a mistake. It seems I did not form this onkwe honwe’s body correctly. I will try once again.”

He then moulded another creature and when he finished, he spoke to it saying, “onkwe honwe, stand upright.” The creature rose up and as he walked, he saw a tree and began to climb it.

Upon seeing his creation, Sawiskera said to himself, “It appears that I made another mistake, for it seems that my onkwe honwe is too small in size to be an onkwe honwe and he has a long tale.”

He then called to the creature, “onkwe honwe, come over here.”

The creature did not reply but remained in the tree. Sawiskera then said to himself, “I will make another onkwe honwe who will be much larger this time.” He then moulded another body from the earth.

When he finished, he said to it, “onkwe honwe, stand upright.” The creature then stood up.

Sawiskera watched him with glee, and said to himself, “Perhaps this time I have succeeded in creating an onkwe honwe.”

This creature looked like an onkwe honwe but was much larger and more powerful. Unlike an onkwe honwe he had much more hair. (Neanderthal and maybe Stone Giant)

Next he said to himself, “I will make a game animal.”

He then moulded a game animal, and when he was finished he said to it, “You will be called deer.” The creature stood upright and cried out as it ran off.

He tried to make another game animal and said to it, “You will be called bear.” His creature then rose up and walked away.

At that moment Sawiskera saw his brother coming toward him along a path. Sawiskera said to Teharonhia:wako, “Now, I will show you the kind of things I have created.” They both then began to walk together.

Sawiskera pointed and said to his brother, “There is the onkwe honwe that I created.” Teharonhia:wako looked and saw a creature seated at the edge of the water? That’s not an onkwe honwe; that is a bull frog.” The bull frog then plunged into the water out of sight.

Sawiskera pointed again and said to his brother, “Look up there, I have made another onkwe honwe.”

Teharonhia:wako asnwered, “That is not an onkwe honwe, your creature has a tail and fur grows on its body.”

Teharonhia:wako then asked the creature, “What type of creature are you sitting up in a tree?”

As the creature began to weep, Teharonhia:wako said to it, “From now on you will be called a monkey.”

They then went a short distance and there sat another of what Sawiskera thought was an onkwe honwe.

Teharonhia:wako asked it, “What kind of creature are you?” The large creature stood up and also began to weep.

Teharonhia:wako said to it, “Because you were created by my brother, you shall be called a Stone Giant one of Harry Chested Human Beings.”

Sawiskera said to Teharonhia:wako, “There are two beings still remaining that I have created which I will now show you.”

He took his brother to where he had created the creatures and said, “That one there I call a deer while the other is called a bear.”

Teharonhia:wako looked at one of the creatures and said, “That is not a deer.” The animal then cried out.

Teharonhia:wako said, “You will be called sabre tooth tiger while the other creature because of its great size will be called mammoth (Gwis Gwis Kowa) instead of bear.

Teharonhia:wako said to Sawiskera, “Tomorrow, you and grandmother should return to my island together.” Teharonhia:wako then crossed over to his floating island.

Sawiskera went back to his grandmother’s lodge to tell her what happened. When he arrived at her place, he said to her, “My brother arrived and changed the onkwe honwe I created. He changed the deer into a tiger and my bear into a mammoth. In fact, every creature that I created and showed him, Teharonhia:wako would not acknowledge. Since the creatures that I had made are turning out different from those of my brother, I will destroy his creation with mine. Soon, I will send them over to Teharonhia:wako’s island where they will eat all his food. Once there, my creatures will eat all Teharonhia:wako’s creatures. If that doesn’t work, I will challenge him to a fight. Tomorrow, we will go over to visit Teharonhia:wako’s lodge.

His grandmother asked him, “How will we cross to the other island?”

Sawiskera replied, “I will make a white stone canoe bridge so that we can cross, and it will be completed by daylight. This is how all my creatures will arrive on Teharonhia:wako’s island as well.”

“When you have done this, I will go with you,” his grandmother replied.

That evening, Sawiskera said to himself, “I will build a white stone canoe between the two worlds where we may cross.”

Because Teharonhia:wako had taken half of Sawiskera’s power to freeze in the exchange for corn, he could not build the canoe bridge by himself.

Sawiskera told his grandmother, “Do not worry; we will leave after your Elder Brother, the Sun, has set in the west, and it is dark.”

Sawiskera then called out, “Oh! Black night. You have the power to help me complete the white stone canoe bridge in the space lying between the two islands during the night. Once this is done, my grandmother and I shall cross the water, just as Elder Brother rises in the east.”

As the night came it became very cold, and the temperature continued to get colder until Elder Brother reappeared in the east.

That evening Teharonhia:wako said to himself as he felt the cold air arrive, “Perhaps, Sawiskera still has enough power to destroy the things that I have planted on this island. If that happens, the rest of the creation will have nothing left to eat. Sawiskera seems to have augmented his power in the darkness.”

Teharonhia:wako decided that it was necessary that he assign someone to make sure that it did not become excessively cold or dark.

He said to himself, “I will await the arrival of my grandmother before I decide to do something about it.”

The next day, Teharonhia:wako was surprised when he saw his grandmother and brother crossing the waters. After they had arrived, he asked them. “How is it that you were able to cross the waters?”

His grandmother replied, “Sawiskera has caused a white stone canoe to float between the two islands, and we crossed over on that.”

At that time Turtle Island had once again become very cold and some plant life died.

Suddenly, Elder Brother the Sun began to appear. Sawiskera told his grandmother, “We will have to leave soon, because the Elder Brother will make it difficult for us to get back across to the other side.”

His grandmother replied, “We should wait to see what your brother wants before we leave.”

Teharonhia:wako then said to them, “Let us first eat from the food that I have planted. As soon as we are full, we will examine all the things which my island contains and have been newly created. “He then went and brought back some corn and began to roast it. As it got hot, it gave out a pleasant odour.

His grandmother asked him, “Could I pluck one cob and eat it?”

Teharonhia:wako replied, “That is not the way things should be done. Wait until it is cooked first, then together we will eat. Everyone has an equal right to the things that grow from the earth. From now on, everyone will share with each other the things that grow upon it.”

His grandmother replied, “All I want is the small uncooked end to be done.”

She persisted, saying, “I just want a small quantity to take back with us.”

He told her again, “That is not the way things will be done. From now on, everyone will eat together because everyone has an equal right to share in the things of the earth. That is the way it will always be on the earth.”

The old woman replied, “I am amazed at what a stingy person you are.”

Teharonhia:wako could see that his grandmother had become very agitated. She went to the fire, picked up some ashes and threw them on the roasting corn (Volcanic Activity). When this happened, the appetizing odour of the corn ceased, as well as the floating fat that dripped from the cob.” At that time, the land of Turtle Island were filled with drought from the ashes that filled the air from when the grandmother scooped them from the fire and threw them on the corn. This made it hard for the plant life to grow.

She then asked Teharonhia:wako, “Is it only the onkwe honwe that will get pleasure from this? Cannot your grandmother have some pleasure from it as well?”

Angrily Teharonhia:wako replied, “What you just did was not good. You have spoiled the one thing that would have given the most comfort to the onkwe honwe who dwell on the earth.” He knew that corn was not good to the taste until it had fully ripened and that it was important that everyone shared equally from it. When the rest of the corn was cooked, they then ate together.

When they were finished eating, feeling conciliatory, Teharonhia:wako said to them, “Come over here.”

He pointed to a tree and told them, “You shall be the first to eat the fruit of the tree that you are standing close to.” There they saw a growing shrub which bore fruit which were slightly sweet in taste and drops of syrup.

Teharonhia:wako said to them, “The large fruit on this tree is called an apple. Each of us will pluck one from the branches of the tree, and then we will eat together.” They each then plucked off an apple and ate it.

His grandmother then asked Teharonhia:wako, “Would it be all right if I plucked off some apples to take back with us.”

He replied, “You must wait for them to ripen first before you eat them. Then you can take as many as you like, and the game animals will do the same.” Once again in anger, the old woman entered the lodge and took a handful of ashes from the fire.

She went out and threw ashes over the growing fruit. When the fruit had turned black from the ashes, she said to Teharonhia:wako, “Are only the people of the earth allowed to get pleasure from this as well.”

Once again, Turtle Island became covered in ash that ruined the plant life.

She continued, “From now on, since I cannot enjoy an apple when I want, neither will the onkwe honwe. From this point on, the onkwe honwe will refer to it as the sour fruit, and no onkwe honwe will ever want to eat it again.”

Teharonhia:wako replied, “I think you have tried much too hard to injure your grandchildren. Perhaps, it would be better if you no longer see the things I have planted or the game animals I have created.”

She answered him abruptly, “I will leave this place with you brother and return in ten days time. Then, we will settle this matter once and for all in a bet with the winner having control of all the food supply. If I win the bet, then I will, control all the things which you created on the earth. If you win the bet, then I will no longer disturb you or the things that you have created.”

Teharonhia:wako responded, “I will do whatever you wish.”

While they were visiting, Sawiskera studied the onkwe honwe who had come to life. He then asked Teharonhia:wako, “My brother, how did you make so perfectly a being such as the onkwe honwe.

Teharonhia:wako answered, “The earth is still young and continues to grow from its power of orenta. This is the same for the animals, the onkwe honwe, and the other forms of life as well. In the beginning, everything is born this way. They begin small and as they grow up, they use up more of their orenta, until finally they pass this earth and return to above the rim of the Sky World.

Sawiskera, replied, “I have a better understanding now as to why things are the way they are. Grandmother and I will now leave for home.

Sawiskera and his grandmother both departed toward home, hoping to walk over the ice bridge. Upon arriving they discovered that the ice bridge canoe had melted away. Sawiskera’s grandmother asked him, “How will we go back to our floating island over the great water with no bridge to cross on?”

Sawiskera answered, “I will use my abilities to make another white stone canoe which I will complete shortly by using the help of the north wind.” He then called for the north wind to arrive, and suddenly it became very cold.

Not long after, Sawiskera began to complete the white stone canoe, and when it was finished he said to his grandmother, “Come now, Grandmother, get aboard and we will cross.” They then crossed the water to their floating island which had also become frozen.

Upon arriving on the other side of the water, Sawiskera said to his grandmother, “I will create all the same things as my brother, but this time I will now show him the things I have created.”

Sawiskera began to work by first making the body of a game animal. When it was completed, he told it to stand up. The being dragged its body along as it slithered away. Unsure as to why his creation was so unusual, Sawiskera said to his grandmother, “My brother must be using his influence to disrupt the things I am creating. I will try and make something else.”

He then made another creature and said to it, “Stand up.” Instead of standing, the being also slithered away on its belly. Sawiskera said to himself, “This must be what all the bodies of the creatures I have formed look like. If these creatures ever become numerous on the earth, I will let them cross under the water to my brother’s island, and I will make sure that they will continually cause trouble while they are over there.”

Sawiskera continued making bodies for his creatures, and just as quickly as they were made he thrust them aside. Soon they became numerous and were formed in all shapes and sizes. Some of them became numerous and were formed in size and appearance, and they began to multiply. When he had finished forming all his creatures, he gathered them together and told them, “Now that you have been created, I will assign you the duty to cross over the water and go to my brother’s floating island on the other side. Once over there, you will find abundant plants, animals, as well as onkwe honwe for you to feed upon.”

His creatures then began to travel around his floating island looking for a place to stop. Many of them were fierce-tempered and fought with one another. Sawiskera created another white stone canoe, and some of them began to cross over to Teharonhia:wako’s island. Others swam across the water as Sawiskera has asked, landing on Teharonhia:wako’s floating island. Once there, they began to attack and destroy Teharonhia:wako’s creation.

It was not long before Teharonhia:wako became aware of what was happening. He said to himself, “These creatures who have invaded my island should not be mingling with my creation. I will send them back from where they came.”

He then gathered all the monstrous creatures and forced them back across the water to Sawiskera’s island. He then followed them, forcing them toward a cave in the mountain that the first animals had been shut in by Sawiskera. There were serpents and various other creatures that Sawiskera had created. Once he had driven them into a cave, he placed a rock in front of the entrance. After this was done, he crossed the water back from where he came.

After returning to his lodge, he thought to himself, “Something is still missing in my creation. The onkwe honwe is alone and needs a companion. I will make another onkwe honwe to be a companion to him so that they can reproduce more onkwe honwe.”

He gathered some red earth from his mother’s body and formed her flesh from it. He said to himself, “This onkwe honwe will also be made in my image.” He then took a portion of his own mind and placed it in the body of this new onkwe honwe. Then he took some of his own life, so that the being would have voice and sight. Finally, he put a portion of his breath into her, and then she came to life. He then told the onkwe honwe to stand up.

After she stood up, he said to her, “I have completed your body as well as all the other things in the world.”

He called the male onkwe honwe over to him and told both of them, “You will have a duty to look after all the things in creation.”

He then said to the female onkwe honwe, “Because you are female like my mother, whose body is in the earth, you will have the duty to look after what grows from her body. When my mother’s head is placed in the sky, she will always aid you in your work.”

He then turned to the male onkwe honwe and said, “Your duty will be to look after the game animals on the earth. My grandmother’s brother will always give you guidance each day, as long as you ask for it when he rises each morning.”

He then told them, “There is one final thing that I will ask of you and that is you must be married. If you do this, you will be more capable in performing the tasks I have given you to do. You will travel all over Turtle Island and spread your offspring.

He continued, “Your tasks will not be easy, and you will have to work very hard for there to be peace between you.”

He then turned to the female onkwe honwe and said, “Your male companion will have to work even harder than you, and there will be times when you will both suffer because your bodies are more fragile from the earth and can be easily destroyed. You will make a circuit around the fire so that the male onkwe honwe who will aid you will remain in peace. This will bring both of you joy.”

He then said to them, “All onkwe honwe from now on will take the form of your bodies. One day, the earth will be covered by onkwe honwe. Each onkwe honwe will have a different length of days to spend on the earth until death takes them away, Until that time you are to be united in marriage.”

He continued, “Now, I have mixed together the minds and the blood of you both. Other onkwe honwe will take their form through your bodies. I state that you should have one mind at all times, so that you don’t hurt one another during your days on earth. Only that which is called death should ever separate your from one another. This will be the same for future onkwe honwe who will marry one day. This will be the way it shall be as long as the earth continues to exist.”

Then he said, “I have now completed everything I set out to do.”

Sawiskera traveled the island looking for the wild beasts he had formed, but he could not find them anywhere. He then decided to cross the water to his brother’s island, believing that they might have swum over there as he had requested. When he arrived at Teharonhia:wako’s, he asked him, “My brother, have you seen any of the wild beasts I have created?”

Teharonhia:wako answered, “You can look all over the island to see if you can find any of your wild beasts, but I don’t know where they might be.”

Sawiskera began to travel over the island and saw many game animals around, but none of the ones he had created. Suddenly, he saw the two onkwe honwe.

He asked them, “What are you two doing?”

They answered, “We have been left here to reproduce by our Creator so that there will be other onkwe honwe in the future.”

Sawiskera was astonished at what he had seen and heard, and he went back to Teharonhia:wako’s place. Upon arriving there, he asked his brother, “I have been everywhere on your island and have not found any of my creatures. However, I did meet two of the onkwe honwe that you formed and noticed that you made them slightly different from one another in order to reproduce. I would also like to create two onkwe honwe like the one’s you created on my floating island. Would you mind if I tried?”

Teharonhia:wako answered, “That would be all right, as long as you took great care and made an exact copy of the onkwe honwe that I created. If you do this, your onkwe honwe will be able to inhabit your island as well. If that happens, I will make it so that our Elder Brother will pass right through the middle of both of our islands. It would make me happy that there will be more onkwe honwe on the earth.”

Sawiskera was really pleased with his brother’s answer. He then asked him, “Help me create the onkwe honwe on my islands. Also, I would like you to help me find my game animals which have disappeared?”

Teharonhia:wako answered him, “I will consider it.”

Sawiskera then told him, “I will now go home, and my first task will be to create an onkwe honwe such as you have made here.”

After arriving back on his island, Sawiskera told his grandmother about everything that he had seen. He said to her, “I have been to Teharonhia:wako’s island, but could not find any of my game animals. However, I did see two onkwe honwe that Teharonhia:wako created. He told me that if I were to make two onkwe honwe like his, I would have to be very careful and make sure that it was in the same form as his own.”

His grandmother answered, “I think it is a good idea that you follow your brother’s instructions. I would not be happy if your onkwe honwe turned out to be half as good as your brother’s. As well, I think something must have been done to your game animals, but I don’t know what. Let us hope that we can find them.”

Sawiskera replied, “I am ready to begin an onkwe honwe. I only have a short time to do it as my brother will arrive tomorrow to examine my work.”

He then took some water that had fallen from his brother and blew on it so it turned white. He said to himself, “Perhaps, If I use the whiteness of the snow to create my onkwe honwe and mix it with the earth from my mother’s body, my onkwe honwe will be different from Teharonhia:wako’s and I can call them my own.”47

Sawiskera took some snow and mixed it with the earth from his mother’s body. He put great care in forming the body but it would not be an onkwe honwe but another type of human being. He then attempted to bring life to it but was unable.

He said to himself, “Very soon my brother will arrive and I will ask him to help me in bringing my human being to life. I have tried hard to bring peace between us, and he has agreed to let me make a human being. I will go to meet him tomorrow and tell him that I have failed in making an human being come to life.”

He noticed his brother was approaching in the distance. When they met, Sawiskera pointed and said to his brother, “Over there, lies the human being that I made out of the water from my body and the earth from our mother. I now have a human being that I can call my own.”

Teharonhia:wako replied, “Your human being looks good in form but it is not like an onkwe honwe. I will add to what you have already created by giving him bodily movements.” He then took a portion of his life and placed it in the lifeless body of the human being. Then he took some of his mind and placed it in his head. Next, he took a portion of his blood and placed it in its flesh. He also gave the human being the power to see and talk. Finally, he gave the human being some of his breath, and the being came to life.

Teharonhia:wako said to the human being, “Now then, stand up.”

The human being then raised himself up.

Teharonhia:wako said to his brother, “I have fulfilled your wishes, but with some regrets. One day your human being will try to control my creation and will become hostile to my work. That is because you did not utilize all my instructions in creating him.”48

Sawiskera then asked Teharonhia:wako, “Could I have an equal control over the creation as it would be a good thing if I also had some influence on the earth.” Teharonhia:wako agreed with his brother’s idea, knowing that the world should consist of balance between their two powers.

He then told Sawiskera, “From now on, I will allow you to use your power half the time if this will make you happy. You will use both the night and north wind to augment it. After that, with the help of our mother and her brother, in the end my power will have pre-eminence over the creation.”

Sawiskera replied, “The human being that we formed together is made in both your image and mine. In this way, he will always have two minds.”

Teharonhia:wako said to Sawiskera, “You are right, you will influence the left side while I will influence the right side of his mind. As long as the human being thinks of me, the world will be at peace. If he thinks only of you, he will want to control the creation and the world will one day come to an end.

Sawiskera asked, “What should we call this human being?”

Teharonhia:wako replied, “The first human beings, which I created from the red earth of our mother will be called onkwe honwe, real human beings. Their thoughts will be centered towards me. The ones I helped you create shall be known as the The One Whose Body is White, and they will be known simply as human beings. One day they will destroy their half of the floating island by trying to control everything upon it. When that occurs, they will try to arrive on my floating island, and then the onkwe honwe, will have problems. That is why they should remain separated from one another.

Teharonhia:wako then said, “There are other human beings created as well. They will live on the other parts of the floating islands. However, they will have little effect on the lives of the onkwe honwe. Some will be like the onkwe honwe in their manners and customs and even look like the onkwe honwe. They will also be influenced by both me and my brother.

Sawiskera then said to his brother, “I will then make other human beings from a portion of our mother’s body.”

Teharonhia:wako replied, “I will not help you any longer as I have assisted you enough already.”

Sawiskera then said to his brother, “There is still one matter yet to be settled, and it has to do with the disappeared animals that I created.”

Teharonhia:wako pointed and asked him, “Who made the mountain and the cavern inside it which runs to the depths of the earth?”

Sawiskera became angry as he knew he had been put on the spot. He replied, “Maybe, it was the game animals that made the cavern.”

Teharonhia:wako answered, “If your game animals are that powerful to create a cavern, perhaps your animals became lost in it as well.”

Sawiskera then said to his brother, “Let is go together and find out if they are there.”

They started off toward the mountain where the cave was. When they arrived, they saw the cave with the large rock in front of it.

Teharonhia:wako pointed and said, “This is where your game animals are.” He picked up the boulder in front of the cave and threw it aside. Soon all kinds of monsters began to appear, dragging their bodies along crawling. Some of them were small while others were large. Many of them had teeth and snarled as they slithered out.

Teharonhia:wako then said to his brother, “It would not be a good thing for your creatures to associate with the onkwe honwe and other human beings. They would end up killing them all. I think it would be better if yours creatures remained underground forever.”

Sawiskera replied, “There are even larger beings that even I have not seen and that are even further underground. He then took a rock and placed it over the opening of the cavern. He continued to tell his brother, “The day will come when they will be let out by those who have white bodies. It is now time that we return to our grandmother’s place and tell her what we have done.”50

Upon arriving, Sawiskera said to his grandmother, “I have finished completing everything that I set out to do. What do you think we should do next?”

His grandmother answered, “I am worried about the head of my daughter as it has been hanging from my lodge for a long time.”

Teharonhia:wako said, “Perhaps, we could hang it above the sky so that the onkwe honwe will always remember what happened here a long time ago.”

His grandmother replied, “That sounds like a great idea.”

Teharonhia:wako then said, “Perhaps, it would be good if we brought her head back to life again as well. We should place her head above the in the sky and assign her a duty, so she could help light up the earth when it is dark. Her duty will be restricted to a certain time when the Elder Brother, the Sun, takes a rest. This will cause it to light up and bring peace to the animals and the onkwe honwe below. She will be fullest for three days, when she will begin to re-create herself once again. This will guide the onkwe honwe and those other living things below, as their life cycles will be governed by it. She will work together with the female onkwe honwe and the plants to regenerate the earth.”

Sawiskera said, “I agree that she should be fastened high up where the onkwe honwe will be able to see her. However, a time may come when someone may try to hide her. Grandmother and I will watch over her in case someone tries to rob her head. In fact, I believe that there might be a time when this might happen, so I will guard her day and night. If anyone tries to take her, I will destroy them whether they be onkwe honwe or an animal.”

Sawiskera wanted to retain control of his mother’s head because he had already lost control of her body. Teharonhia:wako knew he was being deceived.

In later times, every once in a while, Sawiskera would try and hide the Elder the brother, the Sun, or the Grandmother, the Moon, and Teharonhia:wako would have to return for a short time to release them.

Teharonhia:wako told Sawiskera, “If you do that, then our mother’s head will be of no help to anyone.”

He continued, “I am still waiting to settle the matter of who will control the creation once and for all since our grandmother has challenged me to bet when she struck my door post. The challenge our grandmother has made to me is that whoever wins the bet will gain control over the creation in the world. I will watch and be ready for you to arrive, as the bet has been scheduled for ten days time. Only after the bet is finished will I consider creating more things on the earth. Until the time the bet has been won, I will stop creating things.”

The boy’s grandmother replied, “I am also ready for the bet, and you, Teharonhia:wako, should be on the watch, for I will be arriving on your island with Sawiskera to win control over the creation.”

Teharonhia:wako went back to his floating island. As soon as he returned to his lodge, he informed his created beings that they were about to face a great crisis in a short time. He explained to them, “Tomorrow the ancient woman who is my grandmother and my brother Sawiskera who brings in the winter will be coming to seek control over you. If she wins the bet we have made, she will make sure that not a living thing will grow upon which the onkwe honwe and the game animals live. If I win, then I will continue to look over all the things on the earth, and the things that I have given you onkwe honwe to nurture will continue to flourish and grow. Only if I win will I add more to the creation. However, those things that have been planted will live only a short time, because they will continually seek to ruin them. I have allowed my brother some of his power in the hopes that it will satisfy him.”

He continued, “Therefore, two things will occur, with the first taking place on the earth. It will become warm for a certain period of time, and things will continue to grow. When the plants mature, it will turn cold and the earth and the water will harden, just like when Sawiskera caused the ice bridge to float. This will last for a while, until once again it will begin to warm up and the earth’s crust will soften and life will again be renewed. Plants will then begin to grow and provide for the game animals and the onkwe honwe until the cycle is repeated again.”

He continued, “The second thing that will occur is that there will be an orb of light at night as well as in the day, and they will aid one another. The onkwe honwe will call the light of the night, our Grandmother. They both will be held in great respect by the people on earth. The orb of light in the night will disappear for three nights and then renew herself. The onkwe honwe will always revere her.”

Teharonhia:wako then took a seat to rest.

Not long after, his grandmother and brother came along, ready to win the bet over who would control the creation. Teharonhia:wako said to his creation as they arrived to witness the game, “Here comes my grandmother, Mature Flowers and my brother, Sawiskera, to try and destroy you.”

Teharonhia:wako then told them, “Watch what happens when we come to grips with one another and our bodies begin to sway back and forth.”

He continued, “You will have a story which will be remembered by the coming generations until the end of time. There will be many other things that will happen in the future that you will one day tell your grandchildren. Sawiskera will repeatedly do things that will go against my creation, so that the coming generations will face fearful situations in the future.”

Once his grandmother and Sawiskera had arrived, “Teharonhia:wako said, “Now the time has come. On this day, it will be decided whether the onkwe honwe, plants and game animals will survive or whether they will be destroyed forever.”

His grandmother said to him, “We will play a game and use my own bowl and pits to throw for control of the creation.”

Teharonhia:wako replied, “To make it fair, I want to have a say in the rules of the game as well. We will use your bowl; however, when I throw, I will use my pits. As to yourself, you may use your own pits when you throw. We will each throw once, and the winner will then be decided. Hopefully, the pits will fall in my favour.”

His grandmother agreed and said, “Are you ready with your pits?”

Teharonhia:wako replied, “Wait a minute, I will go get them.” As Teharonhia:wako went to get his pits, he called out, “I need six chickadees to come over here and assist me.” Six small chickadees flew toward him.

Teharonhia:wako appealed to them and said, “Assist me in my bet with my grandmother. She wants to take control of the plant world, and if she wins all the other beings will be affected.”

The chickadees, upon hearing Teharonhia:wako, cried out and began to sing. They then perched themselves along his body. Teharonhia:wako beheaded six of them and took them to his grandmother’s place.

Upon arriving, he told her, “We will throw the pits in the air from the bowl and that will be all.” He then sat on the ground.

The ancient woman said, “I will be the first to throw the pits in the bowl.” She grabbed the bowl and threw the pits into the air and when they landed back in the bowl, nothing turned up.

Teharonhia:wako said to her, “Now take your pits out of the bowl, and I will use mine.” He then placed his pits in the bowl which strangely enough seemed to move on their own. They scrambled back and forth in the bowl while he held it.

Teharonhia:wako whispered to the chickadees, “You must put all your orenta in the game, so that you can win and the creation can survive.” He then grabbed the bowl and threw the pits up into the air. Suddenly there was a loud noise and all the living beings cried out including the things that grew on the earth. The pits then flew out of the bowl and out of sight with a great sound seeming to follow them behind. Both the grandmother and Sawiskera put their orenta together to prevent them from returning.

Teharonhia:wako said, “Let there come a field.” This meant that the pits would all be turned upright when they returned.

His grandmother yelled, “It isn’t over yet.”

After a while they heard the pits in the distance coming downward, crying out loudly.

Teharonhia:wako kept shouting, “Let there come a field.”

The ancient woman yelled back, “Let three come together.”

The pits flew into the bowl and kept rolling around until they finally stopped. Once stopped, they all rolled black.

Teharonhia:wako yelled out to the creation, “I have put down the field.”

He turned to his grandmother and said, “I have met your challenge. For a long time you have tried to get control of my creation and from this point on you will never succeed.”

He continued, “Now the onkwe honwe who have just come to life will look after the creation for me. When they remember you in their stories, they will refer to you as ancient woman and will be reminded of the time the creation fell from your control. This story will be related by the onkwe honwe for generations to come.” His grandmother had controlled the snow and now her power would be held in check as it turned to rain. She could never use her power to bury the earth as she had one tried.

Teharonhia:wako turned to the male onkwe honwe of his creation and said to him, “You are the youngest in the creation, and will therefore be known as Otetonia, Sapling. Your partner will be known by the generations to come as Awenhaniyota, “The Blooming Flower.”

He continued to tell them, “Both of your lives will endure as long as the earth continues to exist. All the grasses , bushes, trees and flowers are still at a young age, but in the future more new things will be springing up.

He then said, “Otetonia, you will be the first to give thanks by crying out three times. Everyone will then repeat your words and be happy, and this shall be done for all time to come.”

He turned to Sawiskera and his grandmother and said, “There is still one unresolved matter that must be dealt with.” He continued, “You must give back the head of my mother that is hanging in your lodge, because I now have control over everything, and she is needed by the creation.”

Sawiskera answered, “I have not tried to have control of her head so I don’t see why you should have control either.”

“Will you try and take something from me before I even have control over it?” he asked his brother.

Teharonhia:wako replied, “I am trying to do the work which will benefit everyone, so that we may all live in this world together in peace.”

His grandmother said to Sawiskera, “Maybe it would be better to leave well enough alone since we have lost control over the creation. Let us go home, for we have lost the bet.”

Meanwhile the two onkwe honwe began to travel around with their family. Teharonhia:wako gathered them together one day and told them, “I have decided that we must bring back the head of my mother from my grandmother’s and Sawiskera’s lodge, and you must assist me. You have to prepare yourselves for this task by getting the red willow to make medicine, and you will use it as an emetic to purify yourselves. Before the elder brother rises, you will use the medicine three times, and you will do this for three days in a row. When you are cleansed inside, then we will divide our work between us.”

He then told Sapling, “Look over the whole island and find a horn of a deer lying on the ground and then place it high up in a tree. If you find flint, you may do the same. Look thoroughly, and do not let any deer horns or flint remain on the ground. The work that I have asked of you will help us pass through the crisis. If we all work together, we can ward off Sawiskera. He may try to return to cause you problems. Meanwhile, I will go to Sawiskera’s island and place all deer horns, and the flint high above the ground. Once Sawiskera sees the deer horns and the flint placed up high, he will know everything is against him; he will then remain in his lodge. By the time I return, all this work I have assigned to you must be completed; otherwise, we will fail.”

After Teharonhia:wako had left, Otetonia began to do the thing that was asked of him. He and Awenhaniyota began to collect the flint and deer horns, placing then high above the ground. When Teharonhia:wako arrived on Sawiskera’s island, he began to travel all around, looking for deer horns and flint. Within a short time he found them and placed them above the ground. As he came around the side of Sawiskera’s lodge, he found more of them lying about, and so he placed them up high above. When he had finished, he saw a tree standing nearby with his mother’s head at the top of it which Sawiskera had placed there ( Possible Lunar Eclipse). It was not that difficult to get to the top of the tree. However, he noticed Sawiskera standing ready in ambush in case someone tried to take the head. Instead, Teharonhia:wako turned around and walked toward a mountain that was standing in the distance. There he met a powerful man being standing in his way.

The man being, upon seeing Teharonhia:wako, asked him, “Where did you come from?”

Teharonhia:wako replied, “I came from the floating island that lies beyond the water, and I am taking care of some personal business on this floating island.”

The man being answered, “From the direction of the setting sun, and I too am taking care of business here on earth. After all, it is my creation to look after, as I have completed it myself.”

Teharonhia:wako then asked the man being, “What is you name?”

The man being replied, “My name is Hado:i, Master of the Winds and my power lies in the whirlwinds.”

The man being then asked Teharonhia:wako, “What is your name?”

Teharonhia:wako replied, “My name is Teharonhia:wako, which means Holder of the Heavens.”

He continued, “I am the Creator of the things that live on the earth as well as the onkwe honwe who inhabit it.”

Hado:i then held up a Great Turtle shell rattle and began to shake it making a loud sound. Many of the animals of the earth began to become frightened when it seemed to thunder in the sky.

Seeing he was being challenged, Teharonhia:wako pointed toward the mountain and said, “If you are as powerful as you say, see if you can move that mountain closer to us.”

Hado:i replied, “I am not worried; I will meet your challenge; just watch what happens. Come then. Let us turn our heads this way.” They both turned in the same direction.

Hado:i then spoke to the mountain saying, “Move closer toward our backs.”

He then said to Teharonhia:wako, “We should each hold our breaths while this happens.” The two held their breaths for as long as they could.

Hado:i then said, “Let us turn our heads around once again.” The two of them then turned their heads, and they saw that the mountain had moved a little bit but not much.”

Teharonhia:wako mocked the man being laughing and telling him, “Someone who has so little power as yourself could not have created the world.”

He continued, “It is now my turn to move the mountain and if I succeed it will prove that I am the Creator of life on the earth. Now, let us both turn out heads once again.”

He then said to the mountain, “Mountain, come forward. Here at our backs you will rest.” They both the turned their heads around.

He then said to Hado:i, “Let us two of us hold our breaths and then it will be decided who can hold it the longest. Only then will we look around.”

They both began to hold their breaths. Hado:i felt something graze across his back, and, as he turned around to see what it was, his face struck the mountain edge which had moved behind him.

Teharonhia:wako said, “Let us turn and face about once again as the mountain is now at our backs.

Teharonhia:wako looked at Hado:i and saw that his face had changed. Both his nose and mouth were now twisted.

Teharonhia:wako said to Hado:i, “As you can see, I am the creator of the things on the earth. The proof I have is in what happened to your face.”

Hado:i answered, “It is the truth. You have great power as you showed it by moving the mountain which slammed into my face. I now acknowledge that you are the one who created the living things on earth as you are the one who controlled the movement of the great standing mountain. It is true that you are the ruler on earth, and I now humble myself before you. If you will have mercy on me, I will help the onkwe honwe who are now settling on the earth. Soon the onkwe honwe will begin to have dreams of me. Inside my flesh there is much orenta which I have implanted on the earth. It was I who was the first to wander upon it. Whenever the onkwe honwe who live on the earth have dreams of me, they will imitate my face and the form of my body. During this time the onkwe honwe will undergo a trance. They will travel to each of the lodges in order that other onkwe honwe will recover from illness. Before doing this, the onkwe honwe must remember to make a human form patterned after my face and my body. This will not only make them well but will also allow them to be content inside themselves.”

He continued, “Sawiskera, your brother, will try everything to destroy your creation and the people will become ill in their bodies as well as their minds. This will result in the end of the days of the onkwe honwe. During these times of suffering, I will continue to aid those who address me as their dear grandfather. In return I will address them as my dear grandchildren.”

Teharonhia:wako replied, “I will accept your giving aid to the onkwe honwe on one condition that you don’t reveal yourself to them as it would frighten them if they ever saw you in person. You will abide in a place which will always be available to the onkwe honwe so that they may be heard by you.”

Hado:i accepted this proposition and said, “This is what I will do. I will dwell in a place where there is rough ground, stone cliffs and high banks. In this way no one will see me, and I will stay there as long as the earth exists. It is true, that neither onkwe honwe nor animals nor things that grow should ever see my face. Instead the onkwe honwe will utilize a tree of basswood, which has a long life. From its trunk they will carve a face that resembles mine. Using this face, they will call on me, and I will come and blow on them and cure them of their illnesses. The onkwe honwe will place my face over theirs and travel to the different lodges of the people, and this will be done by a society named after me called Hado:i. When they arrive, they will blow on the person who is ill, just as if it were me doing it. Those who call on me and do what I say will then be helped. The Hado:i society will pledge words to me using the oyonkwe honwe “real tobacco” on a fire, whereupon smoke will rise which I will draw into myself. They will then take hot ashes from the fire and blow them over the ailing person. Then the sickness will go away and the person will be cured. The society will also prepare corn mush which I enjoy and blow it on the person repeatedly. This may be done if a person is ill at any time of the year in order that they may recover their health.”52

Teharonhia:wako said, “Your task is now complete, and it will be known by those who have dreams of you what it is that you will do for them.” They both then departed.

Teharonhia:wako went back to his lodge and met Otetonia who was waiting for him. He said to him, “Otetonia, we should go to the place where I originally came from.”

Teharonhia:wako went back to his lodge and met Otetonia who was waiting for him. He said to him, “Otetonia, we should go to the place where I originally came from.”

Otetonia replied, “I have done everything that you have asked of me, and I am ready to leave with you.”

Teharonhia:wako said to him, “Let us make a canoe and paddle for our voyage. We will have to choose someone to help us steer the canoe.”

They then made the canoe and Teharonhia:wako assembled all the creatures on earth and told them not to be frightened. Soon all the beings of the earth began to appear at Teharonhia:wako’s lodge to get their instructions.

Once assembled, Teharonhia:wako told them, “My mother’s head still has a duty to perform that will benefit all of you. I want to get her head away from my brother.”

Upon hearing what Teharonhia:wako wanted them to do, Fox was the first to say. “I will volunteer to steer the canoe.”

Teharonhia:wako asked Fox, “What would you do once you arrive at the other floating island and we have my mother’s head.?”

Fox replied, “ I would take the head once it fell to ground and run with it, for I am fast.”

Soon, many more of the beings of the earth began to arrive. Fisher said, “I will be willing to help as well.”

Teharonhia:wako asked him, “What kind of help could you give?”

Fisher answered, “When Fox comes running with the head and gets close to the great water, I will take it from him and swim with it.”

Teharonhia:wako said, “I don’t think that the plan will succeed.”

Beaver jumped in and said, “I will help as well.”

Teharonhia:wako asked Beaver, “What do you think that you could do to help us?”

Beaver answered, “I will remain in the canoe, and if necessary I will cut down a tree and block the way. I can even carry the head if I am needed to do so.”

Teharonhia:wako felt that with Beaver’s help, they would be able to succeed. Both Fox and Fisher agreed to go along with the plan. They all got on board the canoe and paddled toward Sawiskera’s floating island.

When they had arrived at the place where the Elder Brother began his ascent each day, both Teharonhia:wako and Otetonia stood at the bank of Sawiskera’s island. Beaver alone remained in the canoe and told them that he would keep watch, but that if they needed him they were to call out his name and he would come. The others also said that they were ready, and they would come if called. The others also said that they were ready, and they would come if called. Fisher ascended the bank from the water and said that he would sit on the bank and wait for the call until he was needed.

Teharonhia:wako addressed Otetonia and the rest, saying, “Now then, let us begin.” They then departed for Sawiskera’s island, until finally they arrived at the tree whose light shone from the head of Teharonhia:wako’s mother, only to find that no one was there.

Otetonia said to the others, “I will try and climb the tree to retrieve the head.” Otetonia began to climb the tree, and after a short distance he fell to the ground.

He said to Teharonhia:wako, “I don’t have the strength in my legs to make it. My feet could not seem to grasp the tree.”

Teharonhia:wako told him, “That is because you have only recently been brought to life and your body is still lacking in something.”

He continued, “The problem is that when I created you, I did not complete your feet, as I had not foreseen that you may need to use them to walk fast and climb. I will repair the error that I made by hollowing out an instep in your feet. That will make it easier for you to climb the tree.”

He then said to Otentonia, “Hold up your two feet?” Otetonia did as he was asked, and Teharonhia:wako took hold of his foot and pressed into the middle part. He then did the same to the other foot.

He then said to Otetonia, “I have completed what I had failed in doing when I first created you. Now try to climb the tree again before my grandmother and Sawiskera arrive.”

Otetonia began to climb the tree, and when he reached the top he detached the head. He then started down the tree, carrying the head in his arms on his side. He yelled down, “Watch out. I am coming.” He then began to slide down the tree so quickly that he could not stop himself. With a thud he hit a ground. The bark on the tree had been scraped right off, and when he got up he showed Teharonhia:wako the head that he held in his arms.

Teharonhia:wako said, “In the future, the onkwe honwe will tell the story of what happened to this particular tree that will from now on be known as the Sycamore.”

Not long after this happened, Sawiskera and his grandmother appeared. They saw that the head was no longer attached to the top of the tree. His grandmother cried out, “They have taken the head of my daughter. Let us hurry and find out who it is.”

Next, all the animals cried aloud, and there was a great noise in the air when they heard her coming. Sawiskera understood what had taken place.

He said, “Something is about to happen to me. I have a feeling that someone wants to kill me. It seems that everywhere I look, the things that I fear the most, the deer horns and the flint, have been put up high above the ground so that I cannot reach them. I cannot do anything about it. Grandmother, you have to follow them and get the head back.”

His grandmother ran toward the Tree, and she noticed the tracks of the beings that had taken the head. She saw that they had gone toward the direction from where the Elder Brother the Sun has set. She then began to pursue them.

Teharonhia:wako and his companions could hear running behind them.

They could hear her yelling, “Bring back the head.”

Fox yelled to the others, “Give me the head for I am the quickest, and she won’t catch me.”

Otetonia said to Fox, “I don’t trust you because you are always deceitful, so I won’t give you the head.”

Black Squirrel yelled, “Let me have the head, for I will cross the tops of the trees and prevent her from having it.”

Otetonia said to him, “I will use you, only if it is necessary and as a last resort.”

Otetonia became aware that his grandmother was close behind him, and he began to run faster. Both Fisher and Squirrel ran along the tree tops trying to keep up with him. His grandmother meanwhile was catching up.

Teharonhia:wako said to the others, “Have courage and take strength. We can outrun her.” Both he and Otetonia ran even faster.

Finally, they made it to the canoe where Beaver was waiting. They got in an Teharonhia:wako told them they had to paddle as quickly as they possibly could. Otter and Muskrat jumped aboard, offering to assist in the paddling by pushing the canoe. They began to paddle with all their strength just as ancient woman arrived at the shore.

She was in an angry state, and she pleaded with Otetonia, “Otetonia give me back the head; take pity on me.”

Otetonia would not listen.

She then pleaded with Beaver, “Beaver give me back the head.”

He also would not listen to her.

Next, she yelled to Otter, “Otter give me back the head.” Otter also remained silent.

Next, she pleaded with Muskrat, “Muskrat, have pity on me. Give me the head.”

Feeling sorry for her, Muskrat replied, “I will give the head back to you.” Muskrat, then tried to get the head from Otetonia.

Teharonhia:wako looked at Muskrat and said, “Your actions and reply were a mistake. Now you have to take responsibility for what you tried to do. From now on, you will have no more power on this earth, and you will walk humbly along the shores of the waterfront for the rest of your days.” He then threw Muskrat overboard.

Otter became frightened at what had just occurred and said to Teharonhia:wako, “I don’t like what has happened to Muskrat. I want to get out of here.”

Teharonhia:wako replied to Otter, “No one forced you to take part in this. From now on, you will be wild, always hiding in the waters and travelling from place to place.” Upon hearing this, Otter jumped overhead. ( The end of the Ice Age and Beginning of flooding).

As they reached their destination, Teharonhia:wako said to the rest of them, “Finally, we have arrived and my mother’s head can now fulfill her duty.” He turned to Beaver and said, “Because you have assisted me, you will have a control over the water, by using the earth to dam it if you choose.

Teharonhia:wako told them, “I will now restore the flesh of my mother’s body, so that she will be whole again.”

Over and over, with the use of the winds to help him, he restored the form of his mother’s body. When he was finished, he said, “Now, my mother’s flesh, body, and power are made whole once again.”

He then spoke to her, “It was my brother who caused your ruin as you became the first victim on earth, and he has tried to do the same to the other beings here as well. It seems it is his destiny to do wrong as long as the earth continues to endure.”

He then explained to his mother, “Now then, my Mother, you will have a duty and purpose for the rest of your days. You will attend to the earth- the grasses, fruit, bushes, and forests and all the things that grow for the benefit of the game animals and onkwe honwe.”

He continued, “I will assign a duty for you. The time, when the orb of light passes in the daytime and the earth begins to warm up, will begin the season known as early spring - when the things that grow will begin to renew themselves. This is also the time when some of those plants will grow flowers. It will continue like this until it becomes cold on the earth once again. You and the Elder Brother, the daytime orb of light, will always assist one another. After it becomes dark and the Elder Brother appears in the east, he will heat your body, and then the dew will fall upon it. You will always think of your grandchildren as they travel about the earth.”

Teharonhia:wako took some red willow and scraped off the bark and said to his mother, “Now that your body has a duty to perform, your head will also have a duty. Your grandchildren, who look upon the setting sun, will see your renewal. Each night, you will draw nearer to them and slowly increase in size, moving toward the place of the Elder Brother, the Sun. When you reach your destination, your form will be complete and you will then become smaller until you reach the place once again that you had originally departed from. Upon your arrival, your grandchildren will not see you for three nights, and then on the fourth night your will return. Your path will be fixed in this way, so that on the fourth night your will return. Your path will be fixed in this way, so that your grandchildren will always hold you in high esteem. They will watch you as you draw closer and they will follow your cycle during both winter and summer. You will be in charge during the night, and you shall have the power to light up the sky. In this way, you will continue to help the onkwe honwe who travel about the earth. The onkwe honwe will then be able to travel to their homes with their minds filled with peace during the night.”

Teharonhia:wako then said, “This matter has now been completed. Both you and the Elder Brother the Sun will now share a responsibility. Those on the earth will address you both by saying, “Oh Sun, our Elder Brother, the great male being.” Or when speaking to you they will say, “Oh our Grandmother Moon, the great female being.”

Teharonhia:wako continued, “I will leave something here on earth which will be used by the onkwe honwe. It is the great precious smoke known as Real Tobacco. The onkwe honwe will continue to use it no matter which direction they face on the earth. Whenever they think of the world above, they will take the Real Tobacco growing near them and hold it when they speak. They will then throw it into the fire they have kindled, and this will become their words. For the rest of the coming days of the world, the Real Tobacco will be used in this way.”

He then turned to his mother and said, “As to what I have asked of you to do. You will utilize that which first grew on the earth, the Red Willow to help you fulfill your duty. Now, go to the place where I have assigned you your duty. Until the time that I say so, no one will be able to defeat either you or the Elder Brother in the future. You will assist each other until that time comes. Now I will prepare the Red Willow for your departure.”

Once he had done this, Teharonhia:wako took the Red Willow he had prepared and threw it into the fire. He then said to his mother’s head, “Cast yourself into the fire.” His mother’s head then jumped into the fire, and soon the smoke began to rise. From that time on my mother’s head, her body, and the female beings would always be connected as one.

Teharonhia:wako told Otetonia and his mate, “You must now watch and see what happens after three days time.”

He said to Awenhaniyota, Blooming Flower, “You will see a change come over you when you see your Grandmother Moon in the sky.”

He continued, “Your grandmother will grow and for you, Blooming Flower, it will be a sign that life is being renewed inside you. It will be a sign that this is the beginning of the forming of the onkwe honwe who will one day overflow the earth as dwellers upon it. It will be from the earth that you will see your Grandmother the Moon appear. This is the way it will be for all time to come, as long as the earth shall continue to exist. Things will continue to grow upon the earth, along with onkwe honwe and game animals. Those onkwe honwe who follow you in the future will remember what you both saw for all time to come. There will still be some frightening things left in the future that you and they will witness.”

At that time, Otetonia and Awenhaniyota watched the sky. After three nights Awenhaniyota noticed a change come over her. She said to Otetonia, “The thing which Teharonhia:wako has told us about is now occurring in my body.”

Otetonia, looked toward the west and saw Grandmother Moon begin to rise.

He said to Awenhaniyota, “I will go and tell the one who created us what is happening.”

When he arrived at Teharonhia:wako’s, he said, “Teharonhia:wako, what you promised would happen to Awenhaniyota is now being fulfilled. A change has occurred in Awenhaniyota’s life, and our renewed Grandmother Moon has risen as promised.”

Teharonhia:wako replied, “What I said would happen has now occurred. The life and birth of the onkwe honwe on earth will always be tied to the cycle of their Grandmother moon. Now, I will go and travel, and you will be free to do the same. I give both of you the stewardship of the earth in order to take care of my mothers body and the things that are born from it. I will come and visit you both every once in a while to explain what will happen in the future. In fact, I am certain that my brother and I will disagree with each other once again when we meet. The sign that this is about to happen will occur when unknown beasts come from the ground, slaughter, abuse and eat the flesh of the creatures that live here. (uranium) When you see this occurring, you will know that my brother and I are disagreeing once again. When Sawiskera becomes angry, he will have control of all those creatures that once lived in the water and the land that he has completed.”

He continued, “When this happens, I will arrive and try to restore order to those things that are out of control. If I must, I will even remove my grandmother to another place. My brother and I will then be alone to decide the issue. The only way that there can be peace is to remove ourselves from this place for the benefit of your children, for if we stay everything will be destroyed. That is why we must leave, and you will rarely see me in the future.”

Teharonhia:wako knew that both he and his brother Sawiskera had too much orenta to remain on the earth. If they stayed and remained fighting, they would end up destroying the world. Instead they would both leave, and when Sawiskera’s influence over the onkwe honwe and other human beings became to strong on the earth. Teharonhia:wako would then return for a short time to restore order. He said he would do this only so many times, and, if it did not work, he would send someone to help the onkwe honwe restore the natural order.

Teharonhia:wako then departed back to Sawiskera’s floating island. Upon arriving, he discovered many wild beasts roaming about. They were huge, ugly and fierce in temperament. He then walked to his grandmother’s lodge and found out that Sawiskera was not there. He approached his grandmother and asked her, “Grandmother, it is you that I have come looking for. I think that it is time that you left this place to go live somewhere else.”

She answered, “Your brother is not here, and, when he comes back, I don’t think he would be pleased to find out I was gone.”

Teharonhia:wako then told her, “Go to where my lodge is and wait for me there. I will wait for Sawiskera here and when he arrives I will tell him that I asked both of you to leave.”

His grandmother replied, “Sawiskera will not know where I am, and I should be here when he comes. Right now his mind is troubled because someone has carried away the head of your mother.”

Teharonhia:wako told her to look up into the sky. He then said, “The one you are talking about is looking at us right now from above.” Just as his grandmother looked up, his mothers head the moon rose up in the air with its rays bursting through the forest.

She said to him, “You are right; that is my daughter. My mind is comforted in seeing her alive once again. I now feel at ease, and it no longer matters if I leave this place, even if it means departing from this world. I am sorry, my Grandson, for taking sides against you when I thought you killed your mother.”

The onkwe honwe would learn that all things pass away for only a short time. Whenever they lose someone that they care for, they would know that they would meet again in the world above. Therefore, they should not grieve too long. In the end, to kill someone only hurts the one who kills.

Teharonhia:wako said to his grandmother, “Leave now, and I will promise that it will not be long before you will again be a part of the Sky World from where you first came. When that happens you will also have a duty to perform, in that you will assist your daughter. After all, there is still someone that I will need to attend to the things on the earth. I am not here to spoil any of the things my brother Sawiskera has created. It does not bother me that I did not create them. They have a purpose here as well, as long as they don’t harm the rest of creation. They are here to keep the world in balance and are therefore needed to remind the human beings that the balance can shift against them if they do not continue to perform their duties and look after my creation.”

She replied, “It would please me a lot if you and your brother would agree with one another, rather than fight with one another all the time.”

Teharonhia:wako replied, “That is also my wish, and if it occurs, then things will also change for the better on this floating island.”

His grandmother, satisfied with his answer, then left toward Teharonhia:wako’s floating island.

Once she was there, she sought out Otetonia and Awenhaniyota but could not find them anywhere, so she returned to Teharonhia:wako’s lodge. At the lodge she found that it was empty; so she took a seat and waited. Not long after her arrival, the two for whom she was looking for arrived.

She said to them, “I have just arrived here and I am not sure what will happen on the other floating island. Sawiskera is not at my lodge and Teharonhia:wako is waiting for him there. I am afraid of what might happen when he does arrive, as Sawiskera is still angry at having his mother’s head stolen from our lodge.”

Otetonia told her, “Do not worry. Continue having good thoughts as everything will be all right. All things, including the one you are most concerned about, have an important duty to perform.”

At that moment, the ancient woman looked up and saw her daughter above. She said to them, “It is true. It is my daughter who brings peace at night to the creation.” Her mind was then put at ease. The three of them then waited for Teharonhia:wako to return.

A few days later Teharonhia:wako began to wonder what had happened to his brother, as Sawiskera had not yet returned to the lodge. He then decided to go looking for him. He travelled over the whole of the floating island but could not find him anywhere. He was surprised to see two human beings, lighter in color than the onkwe honwe walking about. He stopped them and asked, “Have you seen my brother Sawiskera?”

The two human beings replied, “He was just here a few moments ago. We are sure that he is not far away.”

They asked Teharonhia:wako, “Who created the orb of light that now shines during the night, and what is the reason for it being placed up above in the sky?”

Teharonhia:wako answered, “It is I who created it so that it may guide the onkwe honwe and other human beings who will arrive in the future. They will govern themselves and count the number of days by looking at it. In fact, you both will govern yourselves by its cycle. You will always cohabit together depending on the condition of Awenhaniyota on this floating island. During that time you will not see a orb of light for a period of three days, and when that occurs the female will then renew herself. At the time when you notice a change come over her, she will be alone. Once the renewal has occurred within her, it will be the beginning of the new human beings on earth. You will then count the numbers of them when I send a messenger one day to show you how to begin your clan family. There should be no more than three children to a family. In this way the earth will always be able to replenish itself. Your children who are formed from your bodies will be descended through the female line. One day all the earth will be covered with human beings who will be born this way.

He continued, “If ever you see my brother and I disagree, do not let it interfere with your purpose in life. This is because we will always quarrel. My brother will always want to control the creation, and I will not let it happen. I have given all the human beings the duty to be caretakers of the earth. You ill travel and add to this island more onkwe honwe in the future, that is, as long as I get through the ordeals that my brother has in store for me. Now I’ll go look for him.” Teharonhia:wako then left to look for Sawiskera.

Teharonhia:wako went back to his grandmother’s lodge. As he approached it, he saw a pile of flint stones and picked them up and carried them with him. He looked around and saw that Sawiskera hadn’t yet arrived. Teharonhia:wako placed the stones in the place where Sawiskera usually sat down in the lodge and then went outside to wait for him. Sawiskera was waiting for him to come out.

Teharonhia:wako said to his brother, “I have been waiting for you inside my lodge. When I entered no one was home, and I did not see anyone around.”

Sawiskera asked him, “Is not our grandmother in her lodge? She was there when I left.”

Teharonhia:wako answered, “Let us go inside and you will see that no one is there.”

They both entered the lodge, Sawiskera, began looking for his grandmother but could not find her. He then went t sit down in his place and was surprised to find several pieces of flint lying nearby.

He then went to the entrance of the lodge and said to his brother, “Our grandmother has turned against me. She has forsaken me. I no longer care if I live or am taken a prisoner. Even the human beings I created seem to have turned against me. I will defend myself, even if it means I have to become a slave. No matter what, I will attempt once again to gain control of the creation.”

Teharonhia:wako pleaded with Sawiskera, “Why do you think that everyone has turneg against you? I don’t want to fight with you any longer. I would like to help you as I want peace to be here on the earth, as well as in the world above.”

Sawiskera replied, “What have I done on earth that warrants you wanting my destruction? Look at the place where I usually sit. Someone has laid out several items that could destroy me. In fact, no matter where I walk, I find the things that could destroy me placed up high above so that I cannot reach them. That must be the reason why someone took our mother’s head, as well as why our grandmother has disappeared from her lodge. I will defend myself to the end as there is nothing further left for me here to lose. As long as I continue to live, I will never assist or show pity to anyone. It would give me pleasure if there came a day sometime in the future that I control all the things on the earth. To achieve my task, I will use my power both in the day and the night. It doesn’t matter to me what time or what place.”

Teharonhia:wako answered, “What are you talking about? There is nothing wrong in what has happened. No one wants to harm you.”

Sawiskera answered, “I am not pleased that all the human beings look to you in all matters concerning the earth. I will only be happy when I have control of the creation. When that happens, all the human beings with turn away from you. I will make it so that the human beings’ minds of this island will be turned from you so that they will also want to control the creation, and they will help me in my task. I will give them dominance over the rest of the creation. One day, they will have dominance over all the creatures and plants on your floating island. They will even have some of the minds of the onkwe honwe who live on your floating island. When that is done, I will have control over the earth.”55

Teharonhia:wako said, “Let this matter end in harmony, and let there be peace between us as no one wants to harm you.”

Sawiskera answered, “At this moment I will do nothing more as I admit that I have lost everything, including my grandmother and mother. However, I promise you, I will be back with a vengeance.”

Teharonhia:wako pleaded with his brother, “Why is you mind so troubled about the death of our mother. She has come back to life again and will live in the future for all time. In spite of this, your mind is still poisoned with hate. I believe that it is because of the fact that you killed her, and this means that you feel you will never be close to her again. This is the way it shall be for the human beings on earth as well. Anyone who kills another human being will also suffer when their time on earth is ended. Each human being is given a certain length of time to live, and it is wrong to cut the creation of another before it is their time to depart. That is because in the beginning I gave them a part of my life, and they are all related to each other through me. When they kill each other, they will destroy a part of themselves and their connection to me.56

Sawiskera was extremely angry. He said to Teharonhia:wako, “Let us go outside and settle the matter once and for all.”

They then both went outside the lodge. Sawiskera then spoke to his creatures, “Let all those creatures, whose bodies I have formed and are alive, eat those things that have been created separately from mine. This includes the onkwe honwe as well. In fact they will be the food of my creatures. Both daylight and darkness as well as the springs of the water will one day be overcome by my magical power otkon. At that time, the sky will become unclear and the waters murky. Disease will wander about inhabiting all kinds of things which will affect the minds and bodies of the onkwe honwe. There will even be a water of fire which will destroy the minds of the onkwe honwe.”

Teharonhia:wako answered, “You have done wrong if its your desire to end the days of the onkwe honwe. If that is you wish, you should begin with the one who created them.”

Sawiskera replied, “I have promised myself, that whatever occurs in the future, if you ever become displeased with my actions again you and I will fight over it.”

Teharonhia:wako said, “You have threatened me and told me what you are going to do. How do you want to settle this matter and what would you like to use to settle it with?”

Sawiskera answered, “We will settle it by your using your life enhancing power of orenta which you have boasted about and my using my power otkon.”

Teharonhia:wako replied, “Then I will use the power of daylight and make sure that it will be bright when we meet each other in battle.”

Sawiskera then pulled out his flint tipped arrow, and, holding it in his hand, he said to his brother, “I have already killed one person with this, and there is about to be another killed shortly.”

He threw the arrow at his brother, and as it pierced through the air it became very cold.

Teharonhia:wako caught the arrow in the air. They both began wrestling over it, pulling and struggling to get control.

Suddenly, a loud sound was heard on the earth, and it began to get cloudy. The wind also began to pick up in strength. Teharonhia:wako let go of the arrow and picked up a nearby mountain and hurled it toward Sawiskera, with it falling on top of him. Sawiskera feeling overwhelmed began to flee with Teharonhia:wako in pursuit. They circled around the floating island repeatedly. Teharonhia:wako kept picking up mountains and knocking down Sawiskera with them. Sawiskera kept getting up and provoking Teharonhia:wako. As this occurred, the mountains kept getting closer together, and they soon began to be joined with one another. Sawiskera picked up boulders and through them back, where they piled on top of one another forming a ridge that linked them together. Meanwhile, the creation began to be frightened so they hid themselves from the battle that was taking place. Sawiskera tried to do the same thing but could not conceal himself from his brother.57

Teharonhia:wako called out. “He Who Shakes The Earth, it is time for you to help me make sure the earth remains filled with light.”

At that moment, the earth began to shake and rumble, the tremblings increasing in force, and the world began to quake. Teharonhia:wako then took a deer antler and flashed it through the sky at Sawiskera. Each time he swung the antler it turned bright. Again and again he did the same thing. At the same time he did it, a great noise rumbled through the air as the thunders arrived.

Sawiskera yelled out, “You have too much power. I submit and give myself up to you. From now on my body will remain still and only my mind will survive.”

Teharonhia:wako said, “You are right. Like myself, you will always continue to live. However, you should not continue to inhabit this place. Perhaps you should go to another where you will do less harm to the world.”

Sawiskera then asked his brother, “Would it be all right if I did not have to be too far away from you and the creation?”

Teharonhia:wako answered, “You may remain close by as long as you no longer do any more harm. If something like this ever occurs again, I will make sure that you are confined away from this place forever.”

Sawiskera replied, “I give myself up to you and won’t create anymore disturbance as long as what you say is true, that is, unless you attempt to shut me away like you said you would. I ask only that you give your consent to one simple request. I would like to be able to visit the earth as long as it is possible to do so.” Once again, Sawiskera was using deceit on his brother so that he could remain and gain control of the creation.

Teharonhia:wako replied, “Perhaps I will allow it once I finish the work that I have begun. Until that time, I still have some unfinished business to take care of during the night. I am still not satisfied with all that occurs during a certain time at night.” </