Pima People - Pima Stories of The Beginning of The World Summary

Pima Stories of The Beginning of The World Summary

The creation story of the Pima’s, or Akimel Oodham, starts out with one person, the Doctor of Earth. He was known as Juh-wert-a-Mah-kai and before him, there was no earth, no water, no sun, no light, no life, or anything. He created the world from perspiration on his chest called, moah-haht-tack. It took four times until the world actually formed. He first created a greasewood bush, which were abundant in Pima homelands, then ants, which enlarged the earth as they worked, and also created another Person out of his eye. This person could help him create other aspects of the earth, human beings and mountains. The person he created was named Noo-ee. After making Nooee he made the sun. It took him four tries again to create the sun by first, placing a hardened ball in the North, then the West, then the South but none of these worked. Finally he put it in the East and it worked. Juhwerta Mahkai gained more perspiration from his chest and created a man and woman. They produced more people but these people did not act the way Juhwerta Mahkai wanted them to, so he killed them by letting the sky fall. This happened four times, and on the last try he created the earth as it is now. The sun and the moon gave birth to Toehahvs, the coyote and from the North came another person named Seeurhuh. Seeurhuh made a young man who he set out to find a woman for marriage. He found a young woman and they did get married but were then forgotten. Juhwerta Mahkai, Nooee, and Toehahvs shared that there was a flood coming so word traveled. Juhwerta Mahkai made a hole in the earth to survive and people that did not join him drowned. The mountains were not high enough to escape the water. A doctor who was part of the people trying to find a highly elevated surface, tried to save everyone by using his powers but instead turned everyone to stone. After the flood, Seeurhuh, Toehahvs, and Juhwerta Mahkai all made dolls from the leftover clay. The different deformities of the dolls lead to the creation of different animals and beings. Seeurhuh makes fun of Juhwerta Mahkai’s dolls and due to his anger, he sinks into the ground leaving his waste. His body parts were used for creation.