The SKYWoman Initiative

Sky Woman is found in many of the stories told by different Indigenous peoples across North America. For centuries, First Nations have told these stories, sung them, carved them, painted them and brought them to life through objects and dance.  There are many different stories of Sky Woman. 

​

The Ojibway story tells of Sky Woman who looked down upon the waters that covered the earth after the great melting of the ice.  She saw a Giant Turtle in the water and came down to stand upon his strong back. Then she summoned the animals to dive down in the water to find a part of the earth.  All day the Loon and the Beaver took turns diving but they just couldn't go deep enough to get to the bottom. Then the Muskrat decided to try. After many attempts the Muskrat came to the surface with mud in his paws.  Sky Woman took the wet dirt into her hand, dried it and blew gently. Wherever the dirt fell, land came up around the Giant Turtle.  Soon the land completely encircled the Giant Turtle and became Turtle Island, the centre of the world and the birthplace of the Anishnaabeg, the original people.  

​

Another story, according to the Iroquois, or Haudenosaunee, is the creation story, which tells of Sky Woman falling from the sky at the time when the earth was covered with water.  The woman fell from the sky and was caught by birds who gently carried her down to rest on the back of the Great Turtle. The Muskrat brought mud from the bottom of the ocean to place on the Great Turtle's back until solid earth began to form and increase in size. This became known as Turtle Island, also known as North America.  According to local legends, the area of Beaverton harbour is the place where Sky Woman touched  down and all creation grew from this point.

​

The town of Beaverton and Beaverton Special Events acknowledges that we are situated on the traditional land of the Anishnaabeg people. We acknowledge the enduring presence of First Nation, Métis and Inuit people on this land and are committed to moving forward in the spirit of reconciliation and respect.

​

​

​