“That’s the thing about creation stories; only one can be sacred and the others are just stories.”

I think that King has created these dichotomies for us to examine the two creation stories because he wants to emphasize the importance of telling and the importance of the audience. He gives us this option of the more story-like creation story with Charm, or the story of Genesis which is told with authority. He is asking us to contrast the ways in which these particular stories are told, in an effort to help the reader understand how stories can vary depending on several factors. This analysis that he gives us pairs up these two opposing believes and asks the reader to think about ‘what makes them different?’ and ‘how are they similar?’ maybe even ‘why are they different?’ Are they different because they are told differently or are we listening to them differently? Are we understanding these stories in a particular light because of our own upbringing and understanding? I believe that King is trying to show us the possibilities of change within a story – and in the telling of it.

In the lesson, we learn that stories give us a way to connect, and the stories which the Indigenous and First Nations tell, or ones of possession and ownership. Their stories reflect the histories and agreements that they have made with each other as peoples, and they represent how they all connect with each other. I think that King’s use of dichotomies helps the reader to understand why the two creations stories are different; the two creation stories represent two different values and connections. The story of Genesis is authoritative and allows there to be only one high being, whereas the story with Charm shows the values of togetherness and understanding. King has provided these oppositions to demonstrate the differing ways in which stories are told, based on their teller’s value system.

I personally enjoy the ways in which our First Nations and Indigenous peoples tell their stories – their stories evoke emotion and connection. I watched this video on Youtube of the Kaha:wi Dance Theatre’s interpretation of the age-old Iroquoian Creation Story by Santee Smith. I found this excerpt of the full dance performance so wonderful. I fully enjoyed watching it and really connected to the themes and values that it was trying to convey. I actually also found this video while on Youtube, another very interesting video about storytelling of the First Nations people and The Real Story of the Quileute Wolves. These stories give a history of the natural orders within the world, and the importance of working together with all inhabitants of this worlds – something that I find more within the First Nations story-telling then in the stories by the Europeans.

Works Cited:

Kahawidance. “A Story Before Time.” YouTube. YouTube, 16 May 2009. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.

SmithsonianNMAI. “Native Storytelling Festival: The Real Story of the Quileute Wolves.” YouTube. YouTube, 12 Mar. 2012. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.