In the beginning, there was nothing. Only water, darkness and the Raven.
He flew through the darkness with a bag that hung around his neck. He had been flying for a long time, and was starting to get tired. So while he flew, he removed a rock from his bag and threw it into the sea.
This rock became the first land. He sat down upon this land to rest. While resting, he took other rocks from his sack and threw them into the water. Thus the Raven made the land.
Rested, the Raven picked up his bag and continued to fly. After a while he became tired, so he sat on a rock and took more items from his bag. He removed the fir, the pine, the spruce, the redwood and all the trees of the world.
He also removed the huckleberry bush, the wild strawberry, the grass and all of the plants of the world, including the plants of the sea. These things he scattered across the land and the water, so that they may grow.
Again, the Raven took his pouch around his neck and flew through the darkness. And again the Raven became tired, so he sat upon a rock. This time he removed all the animals of the world: the wolf, the eagle, the salmon, the bear, the dear, and all the animals of the land and of the sea.
The Raven looked around him at the world he had made. It was a good world and everyone was peaceful and happy. But before he flew off, he looked into his pouch and saw that there was one thing left. So the Raven removed man from the bag and placed him upon the Earth to care and respect all the Raven's creations.
This story is courtesy of Peter Jacobs from Native Online Legends.