• Native American creation stories from Indians.org: Creation, Migration and Origin Stories http://indians.org/indigenous-peoples-literature/legends-of-indigenous-peoples.html.
• Creation myths from world religions throughout history at the Big Myth website: The Teacher’s Guide http://www.bigmyth.com/2_eng_teach.html.
• A set of diverse creation stories specifically curated to focus on environmental spirituality in Roger Gottlieb’s anthology This Sacred Earth: Religion, Nature, Environment https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ashford-ebooks/detail.action?docID=200828. (pp. 47 through 83).
Choose any two myths and develop a comparison. First, explain which worldview each story seems to embody most closely. For example, ask yourself, “Which religious tradition fits best with the myth?” and “Which philosophical view of nature fits best with the myth?” Be sure to explain how you determined which worldview fits with the story, giving evidence from the texts to support your interpretation. Then compare and contrast similarities and differences in how the two myths imagine the relationship between humans and nature. For additional assistance, refer to the Writing Center resource, Compare and Contrast Assignments https://writingcenter.uagc.edu/compare-contrast-assignments. As always, remember that there is more than one good answer to these questions, so you’re not being graded on guessing the “right” answer. Rather you are being graded on the reasons and evidence you give to support your interpretation.
In your paper,
• Identify two myths that you will use to make a comparison.
• Identify the philosophical view of nature that each myth embodies (e.g., dualism, materialism, or idealism).
• Identify the religious perspective on the supernatural that aligns with each myth (e.g., monotheism, naturalism, or pantheism).
• Compare how the two myths imagine the relationship between humans and nature.
