Native American Tales Myths

One of the most well-known constellations in the night sky, the Big Dipper, traces its origins to a Native American legend. Many animals attempted to break through Sky in order to spread light and warmth onto the Earth. Only one of them, a Great Bear—also known as Ursa Major—succeeds. How does Great Spirit reward him?

The First People had only four lights to illuminate the world. The First People asked First Man and First Woman to give them more daylight. In this traditional Navajo story, learn how First Man and First Woman created the sun, moon, and stars to give light to the First People.

In this story from the Abenaki people, the Native Americans who lives in New England long ago, you’ll learn how one starving man learned to grow a new crop to feed himself.

In this story from the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest, you’ll learn how the trickster raven brings light back to the world from a greedy chief.

Tiger Lily and her community, the Indigenous people of Neverland, possess a unique ability: they can choose to grow up. But for now, Tiger Lily is enjoying being thirteen, spending time with her grandmother and exploring alongside her horse and her friends. Then Tiger Lily uncovers a plot by two of Captain Hook's pirates, who are searching for a mysterious, powerful treasure. Determined to protect Neverland, Tiger Lily sets out on a very grown-up mission.

The book delves into legends of creation, mischievous trickster characters, animal spirits, and the interconnectedness of all living beings. With each story, children are inspired to appreciate their own heritage, embrace diversity, and become stewards of the environment. Whispers of the Earth: Native American Tales and Children sparks curiosity, promotes respect for different cultures, and instills a deep appreciation for the contributions of Native American traditions.

Leslie Marmon Silko's groundbreaking book Storyteller, first published in 1981, blends original short stories and poetry influenced by the traditional oral tales that she heard growing up on the Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico with autobiographical passages, folktales, family memories, and photographs. As she mixes traditional and Western literary genres, Silko examines themes of memory, alienation, power, and identity; communicates Native American notions regarding time, nature, and spirituality; and explores how stories and storytelling shape people and communities.

The humans are freezing during a cold winter and have no fire to warm themselves. They ask Coyote for help! Under the leadership of a Coyote, all the animals of the forest band together to steal fire from three wicked sisters and deliver it to humans in this tale from the Pacific Northwest. Can he defeat the skookums or will they continue to keep the fire all to themselves?

Seven Grandfathers is a bright and vibrant journey through the bedrock of many aboriginal cultures. Children will be introduced to the eagle, the turtle, the bear, the buffalo, the wolf, the sabe, and the beaver as seven grandfathers work together to try and save their world.

Flight of Change - A Native American Tale of Caterpillars and Butterflies is a heartwarming tale set in a Native American tribe, centered on a young boy named Running Deer and his mentor, Silent Bear. When Running Deer discovers a caterpillar, Silent Bear guides him on a transformative journey, teaching him about the life cycle of butterflies, the rhythm of nature, patience, and respect for all life.

Tâpwê can’t wait to spend a week with his cousins on the other side of the Cree reserve—especially since Kokhom, his grandma, has given him the most amazing gift: a Magic Hat with bluebirds and grass snakes that come to life! Tâpwê is so excited that he soon forgets Kokhom’s advice: Watch out for tricksters! Tâpwê’s adventure is everything he imagined. He meets his cousins, takes part in a powwow, and sleeps in a tipi. But soon he’s reminded of Kokhom’s words. Is his new friend Wâpos leading him astray with mischief?

Explore the enchanting world of Polynesian folklore in this beautiful collection of traditional stories. A woman falls in love with the king of the sharks. Two powerful sorcerers compete in a battle of magical wits. The king of Maui's fastest messenger races to bring a young woman back from the dead. In these traditional tales, the borders blur between life and death, reality and magic, and land and sea.

American Indian Fairytales is a collection of Native American folklore retold for children and young adults. Margaret Compton (1852-1903) drew on authentic lore from a wide selection of regions. The tales include "The Story-Teller Himself", "Snowbird and the Water-Tiger", "The Coyote or Prairie Wolf", and "How Mad Buffalo Fought the Thunder-Bird".

On an island at the edge of a wide, wild sea, a girl and her grandmother gather gifts from the earth. Salmon from the stream, herring eggs from the ocean, and in the forest, a world of berries. Through the seasons, they sing to the land as the land sings to them. Brimming with joy and gratitude, in every step of their journey, they forge a deeper kinship with both the earth and the generations that came before, joining in the song that connects us all.

Coyote, Buffalo, and the Rock is an adaptation of a traditional Native American folktale told by the Sioux of the Great Plains. In the story, Coyote gives the gift of a blanket to a rock as he takes a walk with buffalo. When it gets cold and rains, Coyote takes it back. But the rock objects and chases after him. What will happen when rock finally catches him and teaches him a lesson?

How Coyote Brought Winter into the World is an adaptation of a Native American folktale told by the Zuni. In the story, Coyote brings winter by letting the sun escape from a box he steals from an Indian village during a dance celebration. Can he get it back with Eagle’s help, and what will happen if he doesn’t get it?

Un libro fantastico per bambini e adulti ambientato nei boschi dell'America del Nord. In un villaggio navajo, il grande saggio, Cinciullì, ogni sera riunisce attorno al fuoco tutti i bambini per narrare loro delle storie meravigliose nelle quali la natura e tutti i suoi elementi dialogano e interagiscono con piccoli protagonisti. Vari i temi trattati nei capitoli tra cui l'amore per gli animali, il rispetto per la madre terra, l'amicizia, la differenza di genere, la lettura delle stelle e tanti altri.

In the 15th century, four Mahu sail from Tahiti to Hawaii and share their gifts of science and healing with the people of Waikiki. The islanders return this gift with a monument of four boulders in their honor, which the Mahu imbue with healing powers before disappearing. As time passes, foreigners inhabit the island and the once-sacred stones are forgotten until the 1960s. Though the true story of these stones was not fully recovered, the power of the Mahu still calls out to those who pass by them at Waikiki Beach today.

In these 11 adventures, a diverse cast of female protagonists lends their daring and determination to everything from battling evil wizards in Russia to outsmarting tricky demons in South Africa. In the title story, a young member of the Zuni Native-American tribe proves her resourcefulness as she confronts cultural double standards and malicious winter spirits.

As fans of Tony Hillerman's detective novels know, he is a skilled interpreter of southwestern Indian cultures. In this book, first published in 1972, he recounts a Zuni myth first recorded a century ago by the anthropologist Frank Hamilton Cushing. Hillerman's version of the story, written to be listened to by children ten years old and up, will have equal appeal for adults with an interest in Native American culture.