TULSA – Students now have the ability to reconstruct the Mvskoke creation story thanks to Gilcrease Community Engagement Manager Mia Hoskison (Mvskoke). To create your own creation story biome, the Gilcrease Museum has published a how-to guide on their social media channels titled “Create Biomes Inspired by the Muscogee Creation Story!”
Hoskison, who previously worked for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in the Youth Services department as a youth specialist, was inspired by an illustrated children’s book produced by MCN Youth Services, “The Mvskoke Creation Story.”
“It’s tactile and imaginative play. It’s immersive, visual and grounded in culture. I feel like it makes our teachings come alive in a way that resonates with kinetic learners.” – Mia Hoskison (Mvskoke)
“I came across that book and I was really moved by how thoughtfully they presented our traditional stories in a format that was accessible and engaging and culturally affirming for youth, especially for those that might not hear that at home or at school,” Hoskison said. “I wanted to build on that approach and combine cultural storytelling with interactive art.”
The first time Hoskison heard the Mvskoke Creation story was from her grandmother, Esther Holloway. The story tells us how the world was formed and how its inhabitants, people and animals, found themselves where they are today. It also explains how clans were formed, as well as their relationship to one another and the Creator.
The biome dioramas invite artists to recreate their own visual interpretation of the creation story with easy-to-find materials around their household. Hoskison is Wotko, Raccoon Clan, and is of the Alabama-Quasartie Tribal Town. Her biome contained a toy raccoon, deer, and otter.
The Mvskoke Creation story has been handed down from generation to generation, including in Hoskisin’s family. The story that was originally passed down by Hoskison’s grandmother has now been passed down to her daughters through the biome dioramas. The project is particularly helpful for Hoskison’s younger daughter, who is neurodivergent.
“My youngest daughter has autism. Using things with a sensory component are things I think of when I am creating art activities,” Hoskison said.
Hoskison believes that art and storytelling are not just important for passing down knowledge, but also for surviving and healing. For her, art is medicine, a source of healing, cultural continuity, and leadership development.
“The arts are more than just creative expression,” Hoskison said. “They are a way of surviving, remembering, resisting and creating our future. As Indigenous communities through art we carry our language, our ceremony, our humor, our resilience and vision. I see art as a way to process our trauma, assert our sovereignty and it’s another way to celebrate who we are.”
The materials needed to make a Mvskoke Creation Story biome diorama are:
- A paper plate
- Plastic toy animals
- Green and blue Kinetic Sand
- Fake moss greenery
- Toy trees and shrubs
The Gilcrease Museum is currently closed. According to Hoskison, it’s projected to reopen sometime in 2027. To see other fun Indigenous cultural activities for children, visit the museum’s Youtube Channel, Gilcrease Museum.
The Mvskoke Creation story has had many retellings and interpretations. Below is a retelling called “The Origin of Clans”, originally shared by former Holdenville Public Schools Creek Bilingual Coordinator Susannah Factor in Mvskoke Media’s “From the Vault – Folklore of the Muscogee Creek People” episode.
It was told by our elders that in the beginning the Muscogee People were born out of the Earth itself. They crawled up out of the ground through a hole like ants. In those days they lived in the far western land beside tall mountains that reached the sky. They called the mountains the backbone of the earth. Then, a thick fog descended upon the Earth, sent by the master of breath. The Muscogee People could not see. They wandered around blindly, calling to one another in fear. They drifted apart and became lost. The whole people were separated into smaller groups. And the people in these groups stayed close to one another in fear of being entirely alone. Finally, the Master had mercy on them. From the eastern edge of the world where the sun rises, He began to blow away the fog. He blew and blew, until the fog was completely gone. The people were joyful and sang a hymn of thanksgiving to the Master of Breath. The niche group of people turned to one another and swore eternal brotherhood. They said that from then on these groups would be like large families. The members of each group would be as close to each other as brother and sister, father and son. The group that was farthest east and first to see the sun, praised the wind that had blown the fog away. They called themselves the Wind family, or Wind Clan. As the fog moved away from the other groups, they too gave themselves names. Each group chose the name of the first animal they saw. So they became the Bear, the Deer, the Alligator, the Raccoon and the Bird clan. But the Wind Clan remained the most important of all.
As told by Susannah Factor
Below is Hoskisin’s retelling of the Mvskoke Creation story and the how-to video on how to create a biome based on it.
