The Hopi's Story of Creation

The Beginning of All Things

Once, all was still and only the Great Creator existed. He then called forth Sotuknang, and called him “nephew.” He asked Sotuknang to establish life out of the darkness. First, Sotuknang formed the land, then he brought the waters and thirdly, he blew into the world all the winds. Finally, his fourth act of creation was life.

Sotuknang created the great mother and called her Spider Woman. He gave her power to create life. Spider Woman sang the Creation song and formed the earth. She made the plants, birds, the animals, and using yellow, red, white, and black mixed with her saliva, she made human beings. Spider Woman sang the Creation Song again and made four men and four women. She gave them each a soft spot on the tops of their heads when they were born so that they might be able to hear the voice of the Creator better. Then Spider Woman called Sotuknang and asked him to give the people a way to communicate with one another. Sotuknang gave them languages and placed them in a world where they would be happy together. He asked only that they respect their Creator and live in harmony with him.

For a while, the people lived happily together. The world was warm and comfortable and food was abundant. Even though they spoke four different languages, they understood one another’s thoughts and worked closely with the earth and all her creatures. More and more people came forth and finally they began to forget their Creator. They fought amongst themselves and became greedy and restless for more. But a few remembered the words of Sotuknang and they pleaded to their Creator for help.

Sotuknang then called forth a great flood and washed the world clean of its anger and hurt. The few floated for many days and nights but, finally, felt the land beneath them once again. They climbed safely out of their reed boats and Sotuknang welcomed them to the new world. But, he said, this world was not as beautiful as the one before. Life now would be harder. There were deep mountains and valleys, heat and cold, and they must now hunt and forage for their food. Sotuknang said that life must now include hardships to remind the people of their dependence on and link to their Creator.

The Hopi people were given their name, “Little Ones.” In this way, the Hopi of the Pueblo remember always to be humble and peaceful, carrying the ways of the Creator in their hearts.