What are the key ideas in the native American creation story?

Native Americans were united as one group of people in some ways, but "Native American" is a very broad category. The creation story differs from tribe to tribe. Try being more specific-- do you want to know about the Navajo, the Cherokee, the Mohawk, the Hopi, or perhaps the Anishinabee? There are so many tribes, and so many different creation stories.

One area of commonality between Native origin stories is that of all the living things, man was created last. From the Native worldview, this does not mean that the creator must have become more practiced and therefore man is "supreme" among created beings. Native Americans generally believe that man is the youngest and least wise of all created things. This is part of the reason why Native American groups tend to view other animals with such respect. Man must live in harmony with and can learn much from the older animals.