The Turtle Island Story

Our name has its origin in the common oral history of Canada’s First Nations

The story of ‘’Turtle Island’’ goes back to creation. Long ago, after the Great Mystery, the original people, the Anishinabe, strayed from their harmonious ways and began to argue and fight with one another. Brother turned against brother. Soon, they were killing one another over hunting grounds and other disagreements.

The Great Flood

The great Manitou decided to purify the earth by sending a great flood. Nanaboozhoo survived the flood on a great log, along with a few animals and birds. He dove into the water to grab a handful of earth to create new land for them to live on, but the water was too deep. Each animal took a turn, but none succeeded.

The Muskrat’s Dive

A small muskrat then spoke up and asked for permission to try. The other animals, who were more powerful, laughed. Nanaboozhoo told them to stop and said that only Manitou can place judgement on others and that the Muskrat should be allowed to dive.

The muskrat dove into the water and stayed down longer than any other animal. After a while, everyone thought he had given his life trying to reach the bottom. Far below the surface, the muskrat reached the bottom. Very weak from lack of air, he grabbed some earth and began to swim to the surface. One animal spotted the muskrat as he floated upward. Nanaboozhoo grabbed him.

Then he said with regret, ’’the muskrat went too long without air, he is dead.’’ Then he noticed in his paw a ball of earth.

The Turtle’s Gift

Just then, the turtle swam close and said, ‘’use my back to bear the weight of this piece of earth.’’ Nanaboozhoo summoned Manitou to help, and he placed the piece of earth on the turtle’s back.

Suddenly, the wind blew from each of the four directions. The tiny piece of earth on the turtle’s back began to grow. It grew and grew until it formed an island in the water. As the island grew larger, the turtle bore its weight. When the four winds ceased, a huge island sat in the middle of the water. Today, that island is called North America.

Teachings of the Story

Traditional First Nations people hold special reverence for the turtle, since it sacrificed its life and made life possible on earth. The muskrat has been given a good place in the oral stories of First Nations people as the small, insignificant animal that rose to the challenge and saved others.

The people of First Nations say, ‘’stories define us, they encompass all our life experiences and they inform others about who we are and how we got here.’’

To really understand their humility is to understand their saying, ’’the truth about stories is that, that’s all we are.’’

The story of Turtle Island helps children understand the values of their culture. Storytelling is an important part of the Seven Teachings: humility, courage, honesty, love, wisdom, respect, and truth.