Every aboriginal nation has its gods, from whom the people receive all that they have, all that they practice, and all that they know. Traditional American Indian life revolved around communication with divinity, and these stories about the origin of the earth and its creatures embody every facet of Native American culture-customs, institutions, and art. Curtin, a celebrated anthropologist, roved California and Central America in the 1890s in pursuit of these tales. Recounted here as he heard them, they offer both authentic views of an ancient society and captivating examples of storytelling art.