- So Kokomaht was by himself except for the two beings he had made. These were the Yumas, and in the same way that he had created them, Kokomaht now made the Cocopahs, the Dieguieños, and the Mojaves. In pairs he created them. Then he rested. Four tribes he had created. After having rested, he made four more tribes: the Apaches, the Maricopas, the Pimas, and the Coahuilas. In all, he made twenty-four kinds of people. The white people he left for last. (“The Good Twin and the Evil Twin,” American Indian Myths and Legends, 78)
How does this passage detail one of the class’s predominant early topics: the Americas before Columbus/contact? How does this passage/the larger piece contrast the pre-contact with post-contact history? How is the issue of translation/transcription dealt with in this story? Discuss themes like the cardinal directions, pairings, or heroes and tricksters? What other themes occur in this story that relate to the above?
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