American Myths Myths: Traditional, typically ancient stories dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serves as a fundamental type in the worldview of a people, as by explaining aspects of the natural world or delineating the psychology, customs, or ideals of society. Also, popular beliefs or stories that have become associated with a person, institution, or occurrence, especially one considered to illustrate a cultural ideal

• Attack of the Mammoth
  A mammoth attacks and kills a hunter and stalks his wife and child. (Kaska First Nation)
• Coyote and the Columbia
  The origins of the Columbia River. (Washington)
• Coyote and Wishpoosh
  How the Northwest coastal tribes were formed.
• Crow Brings the Daylight
  Crow flys to the south, seeking to bring daylight to the Inuit, who live in darkness all year long. (Inuit)
• The First Tears (Inuit)
  An Inuit tale about the origins of tears. (Alaska)
• The Guardian of Yosemite (Listen to an excerpt)
  The beautiful spirit of Yosemite falls in love with a great chief.
• The King of the Sharks
  The King of the Sharks has a mischievous son.
• The Heron and the Hummingbird
  Why Herons eat fish and Hummingbirds drink nectar.
• How Selfishness was Rewarded
  A young girl refuses to share food with her starving family in this Tlingit myth from Alaska.
• How the Rainbow was Made
  Nanbozho creates the rainbow, with a little help from two bluebirds.
• The Maid of the Mist
  The tale of the maiden who lived behind Niagara Falls and the origin of the famous horseshoe falls.
• Ogopogo, the Lake Monster
  A giant serpent roams the waters of Lake Okanagan.
• Rabbit Plays Tug-of-War
  Rabbit tricks two water Snakes into playing tug-of-war.
• Rainbow Crow
  The snow has come to Earth and all the animals are freezing. Can Rainbow Crow save them?
• The Spirit Lodge
  A great chief returns after his death to guard his people.
• The Trickster Tricked
  (In which Terrapin the Turtle outwits the Trickster Rabbit)
  Turtle and Rabbit decide to run a race. Guess who wins?
• The White Horse
  Mounted on a white horse, a new bride flees for her life from a rejected suitor.
• Who Calls?
  A Cree warrior journeying to the home of his beloved hears her voice calling his name in the night.
• Why Opossum Has a Bare Tail
  Opossum wants to make pretty rings on his tail, just like Raccoon.
• Why Opossum Has a Pouch
  Big Bat steals Opossum's babies and she must find someone to steal them back.