Epic floods are part of the mythology of peoples around the
world. In North America, they are part of both Christianity and
many Native peoples. The stories are almost identical. There was
an upheaval, a leader prepared for a flood, the flood came, but
the leader’s clan and all animals were saved. Here in the
Manitoba Museum is the myth of a flood experienced by the first
peoples to inhabit North America, the Algonkia or Angonquins.
Their great spiritual figure, Wee-Sa-Kay-Jac, called on the
Thunderbird to give people warning the flood was coming. The
Thunderbird, in turn, called to Nekomas, daughter of the moon
and of the Great Chiefs, it was coming. Nekomas called to the
moon to delay the flood until she had time to prepare. One raft
was built for the people, another for the world’s animals. The
flood came for a long time. When Nekomas thought it might be
ending, she tossed a beaver overboard to see if it could find
land. It was unsuccessful. Before she tossed in a muskrat, the
muskrat told her if he died,