Lucas Spelsberg (11/04): Kimmerer’s People of Corn People of Light

In the section of Braiding Sweetgrass: People of Corn, People of Light, Kimmerer describes a creation myth originating from the Mayan people. In this myth, it is said that the gods attempted to use resources from the natural world to create humans. Not until the gods were able to create people from corn who were "wise enough to be grateful" did they end their attempts to create a perfect lifeform. Ultimately, they settled on the humans that were able to show appreciation and gratitude for the natural world. Most of the Native American creation myths that Kimmerer writes about have to do with expressing gratitude for the natural world and showing appreciation for the elements which created us. These creation myths highlight the necessity to be grateful for nature because it is the foundation of our lives. Thus creating a culture with the belief that the natural world is something that should be valued highly and not be taken for granted. This seems to be emphasized in Indigenous creation myths but not in Christianity and therefore many Christian cultures lack this appreciation and gratitude for nature.

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