Yavapai-Apache 

The Story of Kamalapukwia (First Woman), her daughter  Amjakupooka and her grandson Sakarakaamche begins the  creation story of the Yavapai-Apache people. Before  Kamalapukwia was born, her ancestors appeared from the  underworld on the first corn plant. Her tribe had never left the big  hole, now known as Montezuma Well, where they first arrived. 

Only one member, Ihija the dove journeyed over the edge of the  big hole and saw the world. 

The Cloud, Gwi began to pour rain into the tribe's big hole  which would soon become flooded. There was no escape for the  people. Kamalapukwia's father told her that she was the only  one that could be saved and would start a new tribe in the outside world.

Her family placed her and Ihija in a small log canoe and  packed it with food for the journey. Kamalapukwia's mother also placed a precious white stone in the log canoe and told  Kamalapukwia to keep the stone with her always and it's power would keep her safe. 

Kamalapukwia and Ihija spent hours or perhaps days in the  small dark boat until suddenly they hit solid earth. They hit the  earth so hard that the cover of the boat was shaken loose and  they were freed from the small boat. After leaving the boat, she began to climb Mingus Mountain to meet Nya, the sun. When she reached the top of the mountain, she sat on a rock and  waited for Nya. Soon the sky became bright with yellows and  reds. This frightened her because she had never seen the sun before.

Kamalapukwia was tired from her weary boat ride and  strenuous hike. She soon fell asleep. As Nya came closer to  Kamalapukwia, he thought that she was very lonely because she was the only person in the land and he would make her a child to end her loneliness. Nya awakened Kamalapukwia and said "I am your friend; I love you and have made you my wife. I will tell you what to do. Now listen very carefully! You must not stay here. Winter will come soon, snow will cover the mountains, and you will find no food. You must go to the Red Rock country." Trembling in fear, Kamalapukwia asked "But how can I find the place? Where can I sleep? How can I find food?" Nya replied "Ihija will show you the way and will find a cave where you  can make your home. He will help you find food to eat and to store for the winter. Ihija will also keep you company. In a few  months when I make the earth warm again, you will have a child to keep you from being lonely. You are the First Woman, but in a few years many tribes of people will live in the land."

The first snow fell as she settle in the cave at the Red Rock  country. She began to prepare for the winter. Ihija, the dove,  showed her where to find seeds, leaves, berries and insects to  store for the winter. Nya also told her how to build a fire and  make warm clothing. She was lonely during the winter because  she could not leave the cave but she was warm and well fed. 

After Nya warmed the earth, spring finally came. 

Kamalapukwia's daughter Amjakupooka (Going Around the  Earth) was born. Ihija stayed with Kamalapukwia until spring  but left soon after and only made occassional visits with his new  wife. After a few years, Kamalapukwia never saw Ihija and his wife again. 

As Amajakupooka grew, she was taught everything that  Kamalapukia learned from Nya, Ihija and her parents. One day Kamalapukwia persuaded her daughter to go to Mingus  Mountain and ask Nya to give her a child. Nya recognized Amjakupooka as his own daughter and sent her to Gwi, the  cloud. She and Gwi had a son, Sakarakaamche (Lofty Wanderer). 

The three of them, Kamalapukwia, Amajakupooka and  Sakarakaamche were very happy. One day, Amajakupooka went to the river to gather watercress and never returned.  Sakarakaamche was very lonely and knew that his grandmother  was worried about her daughter because she had left without the precious white stone. She had always insisted that her daughter carry the white stone for protection. Sakarakaamche would cry for his mother occassionally and his grandmother would comfort him. 

His grandmother began to teach Sakarakaamche how to  collect seeds, grasses and berries and how to make a small  bow and arrows to shoot small animals. One day  Sakarakaamche told his grandmother that he was going  hunting. He always looked for his mother when he left the cave, and perhaps hoped that he would find her while hunting. His grandmother reminded him to take his blue stone for protection. 

When he reached the hill that made the end of his territory, a  very large quail suddenly appeared. Sakarakaamche hit the quail in the leg with one of his arrows. The quail cryed out "My  leg is broken, fix it and I will tell you what happened to your  mother." Sakarakmaache fixed the leg by rubbing it. Ahoma, the  quail told Sakarakmaache about his mother. While his mother  was gathering grasses and seeds on the other side of the hill, she was seen by Asha, the largest and oldest monster eagle in the land. Unfortunately, his mother had left her magic white stone at home, and Asha's children were hungry. The huge eagle swept down, picked up Sakarakmaache's mother, carried her off to the high mountain, and fed her to his children. 

After hearing the story of his mother, Sakarakaamche asked  where he could find the monster eagle. Ahoma said "Return to  this place early in the morning, and I will take you to Gwi, your father the Cloud. He will tell you what you must do." When Sakarakaamche returned home, he did not tell his grandmother the terrible news about his mother. The next morning Sakarakaamche went to meet Ahoma, the quail. He left without waking his grandmother and his grandfather, Nya, was still on the other side of the mountain and it was too dark to see his father, Gwi. He took with him his bow and arrows and his blue stone. 

Two nights later, Sakarakaamche returned home and told his grandmother the story about the his mother and Ahoma. The boy described how he met his father and did what his father had  instructed him to do. He walked through fields for many hours, then he heard a loud noise over his head. It was Ahsa! Ahsa picked him up and carried him up to his nest on the highest mountain just as his father Gwi had described. Asha dropped him in front of his eaglets and they looked at him very hungrily.

Sakarakaamche told them not to harm him because he was  their brother. He asked the eaglets where their parents would sit when they returned home. He had threatened to throw them over the cliff so they told him. He waited in the spot where the parents would sit. When they returned he killed them with his powerful blue stone like his father had instructed. 

After the event with Asha, Sakarakaamche had now grown to  be bigger and stronger. He wanted a wife but could not figure  out how he could find one because the only woman was his  grandmother. While thinking about his problem Sakarakaamche was playing with a piece of clay, rolling it around in his hands. To his surprise he made the shape of a woman that looked like his mother. He was pleased with his clay figure and started to make several others. The figures looked alive and Sakarakaamche thought that if they were real that he and his grandmother would no longer be lonely. He closed his eyes and dreamed of a canyon full of people. When he opened his eyes real people had come to live in the canyon. 

These people were known as the Yavapai-Apache people.