Origin Myth of Acoma

First, there were two female human beings, born underground. There was no light, so they could only feel each other and grow slowly. The Spirit, called, Tsichtinako, spoke to them and gave them nourishment, and learned language from it. They asked what they were, and it replied they were “nuk’timi” (under the earth) until everything was ready for them. It gave them a present of seeds and little images of all the different animals to be in the world. They were tasked with planting the trees and then use the trees to get into the light. The trees were of different sorts, but the tallest, lanye grew fastest, but didn’t let in enough light. Tsichtinako advised them to find the image of the dyu’p (badger) and tell it to become alive. They instructed Badger to climb up the pine tree and bore a hole in the earth. The locust is then brought to life and told to plaster the sides of the hole but to not go out into the light. The locust disobeys, and is punished by living a short life and having to return to its home when the weather was bad. They then go to the light and are told to worship the sun. Tsichtinako tells them it is not their father, their father is Uchtsiti, who made the world and many other things. He made the sisters to rule and bring life to the rest of the things. Uchtisiti made the world by throwing a clot of his own blood into space and it grew into the Earth. Then Uchtisiti planted the sisters in the earth and nourished them, but now that they are above the earth they must nourish themselves. They’ll never see Uchtisit because he is in the “four skies above” The sisters are named Nautsiti and Iatiku and Iatiku calls her clan the “Corn clan” and Nautsiti is “sun clan”. They then plant the rest of the seeds and are given fire, and told how to make fire to cook food. They then are told to give life to the Ba’shya (kangaroo mouse) to be used as food and they are taught a song to sing to animals in order to make the animals come to life. After planting the trees and grasses, and bringing the small animals to life, Tsichtinako tells them to make mountains. Then they plant more wild fruits and bring the larger animals to life. The snake came to life on its own after the baskets were dropped and tempts Nautsiti and causes them to fight with each other and compete. Even though Tsichtinako had told them that their father forbade them to have children, the snake Pishuni, tells Nautsiti to go ask a rainbow how to make a child. The rain drips into her and conceives twin sons. She gives one she doesn’t like to Iatiku, and then the sisters decide to separate. Nautsiti, on leaving, wants to share her basket items, sheep and cattle, but Iatiku thinks they will be too hard to care for. The same for wheat and vegetables. Also, precious metals and writing, but Iatiku didn’t want any of it. The son Iatiku raises becomes her husband, Tia’muni and they bore many children. Iatiku is “Mother” and instructs her people and names each child after a clan “badger, antelope, red corn, blue corn,” etc. Iatiku also makes the spirits of the seasons, Sha-k’ak (Winter), Morityema (Spring), Maiyochina (Summer), and Shrui’sthia (Fall). She made several other sprits and prayer sticks, to which she told the gods, “this is how the humans will call for you.” She also makes the first house and tells them this is what they will live in. Various rituals are described and the proper building of the medicine hut. Hunting methods and rules are also prescribed.