Blackfoot - Earth Diver (6.

0)
Long ago there was a time when water covered the entire world. Napi the
creator wanted to know what happened below all of this water. He sent a duck,
an otter, then a badger, but all came up with nothing. Finally, a muskrat dove
beneath the water and was down a very long time. He returned with a ball of mud
in his paws. Napi took the lump and blew on it until it dried and was transformed
into the earth. He molded the hills, valley, and mountains with his hands. He
created groves in the earth for rivers and lakes. The first people were molded
from this earth and Napi taught men and women how to hunt and to live. Once
Napi felt his work was complete, he climbed up to a mountain peak and
disappeared.

First Nation, Mtis and Inuit religions in Canada vary widely and
consist of complex social and cultural customs for addressing the
sacred and the supernatural. The influence of Christianity
through settlers, missionaries and government policy
significantly altered life for Aboriginal peoples. In some
communities, this resulted in hybridized religious practices;
while in others, European religion replaced traditional spiritual
practices entirely. Though historically suppressed by colonial
administrators and missionaries, especially from the late 19th to
mid-20th centuries, many contemporary Aboriginal communities
have revived, or continue to practice, traditional spirituality.
There is no definitive and overarching Aboriginal religion.
Traditional Aboriginal religions vary widely, as do the spiritual
practices of contemporary Aboriginal peoples in Canada.
Additionally, traditional ways of life are often intermingled with
religion and spirituality. Activities such as hunting, clan
membership, and other aspects of daily life may often be imbued
with spiritual meaning.