Skywoman Character Analysis

Skywoman is an important figure in the Haudenosaunee creation myth, and Braiding Sweetgrass opens with her story. In this tale, Skywoman falls from her home the Skyworld to earth, where she is caught by a flock of geese and then helped by the other animals, who work with her to create a new land known as Turtle Island (as it is first created on the back of a turtle). There Skywoman dances the land into being, plants seeds and creates a garden, and later gives birth to a daughter. Kimmerer uses Skywoman’s story to illustrate how a culture’s mythology can shape their relationship to the land itself. She compares Skywoman to Eve from Judeo-Christian mythology: Skywoman is welcomed by the animals and plants a garden to be a home for her future children, while Eve is exiled from her own garden and told to subdue the harsh world beyond Eden. In contrast to Eve’s story, then, the myth of Skywoman suggests that human beings belong to this land and should celebrate its gifts while also treating it with respect, gratitude, and humility.