One thing I have noticed and love about Native American culture is that a lot more about female divinity has been preserved than in European and Middle Eastern religions. There is more to this than I currently understand, but look forward to knowing over time. The significance of woman has almost been eradicated from modern Christianity. So this is a great pleasure to explore. I know I won’t do justice to this subject, but I’m going to try anyway.

If you missed part 1 of this series, I suggest you read it. The Recreation tale I am addressing is contained there.

One thing I noticed is that the nature of the story is of a secondary creation. I will soon go over the primary creation story that involves Gitchi Manitou (the Great Mystery). The initial creation ended in failure, and only with the participation of Sky Woman in this tale and this secondary creation is the vision of Gitchi Manitou realized. Basil Johnston in his books refers to Gitchi Manitou as “he,” a male Creator. Putting these stories of creation together shows an image of a creator/s as described in the scriptures as both male and female, the same image Adam and Eve were created in.

“And this was the book of the generations of Adam, saying, In the day that God created man (in the likeness of God made he him), in the image of his own body, male and female created he them, and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created, and became living souls, in the land, upon the footstool of God.” RE Genesis 3:8

I came across this explanation that reinforces the male/female relationship of the Creator apart from the nature of both primary and secondary creation stories:

“In my teachings, I have been taught to refer to the Creator within female context as I am a woman and the Creator represents the duality of all things. In creation, both the male and female are needed to reproduce, so we respect the Creator through our own spirit and bodily form.” Tiffany McCue, a.k.a. Naanookashiins N’dizhnikaaz (the link for this quote can be found here).

In the scriptures a similar story of a pregnant woman and a flood is told in John’s Revelations:

“And after these things I heard another voice, saying, Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, yea, and they who dwell upon the islands of the sea. For the devil has come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time; for when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman who brought forth the male child. Therefore, to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might flee into the wilderness, into her place where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent casts out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helps the woman, and the earth opens her mouth and swallows up the flood which the dragon casts out of his mouth. Therefore the dragon was angry with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, those who keep the commandments of God and have also the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
 RE Revelations of John 4: 5

There are some different themes here than those in the tale of Sky Woman, but striking similarities as well. There are even some tellings of the Ojibwe tradition that include a Horned Serpent who causes the flood. One specific similarity is the first verse of the same chapter that describes the woman of John’s revelation as also coming from the sky/heavens.

“And there appeared a great sign in heaven, in the likeness of things on the earth; a woman, clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And the woman, being with child, cried, travailing in birth and pained to be delivered. And she brought forth a male child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up unto God and his throne.”

I will note, that the rod of iron is less about having something to beat someone in submission with, and more about having the truth/word of God to humbly lead with.

The symbolic meaning of the scriptural woman and child from John’s revelation is described in the 3rd verse of the same chapter:

“And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought against Michael. And the dragon prevailed not against Michael, neither the child, nor the woman — who was the church of God — who had been delivered of her pains and brought forth the kingdom of our God and his Christ; neither was there place found in heaven for the great dragon who was cast out, that old serpent called the devil, and also called Satan, who deceives the whole world; he who was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” RE Revelations of John 4:3 

The woman represents the “church of God.” The child she delivers is the “Kingdom of our God and his Christ.”

From one of the previous quoted 5th verse we have something that clarifies the role of her seed, the Kingdom of God. It says, “…the remnant of her seed, those who keep the commandments of God and have also the testimony of Jesus Christ.” If this is the criteria for those that were/are/will be the Kingdom of God, then does that make the woman, the Church of God, the means through which the commandments are taught to be kept, and the means through which a person can receive the testimony of Jesus Christ?