Gluskabe: A New England Indigenous Cultural Hero Whose Stories Impart Traditional Philosophy

Abstract

Stories abound among the indigenous people of Northern New England of Gluscape 1 , a kind of “finish-carpenter” of creation. I explore the origins of these stories about Gluscape, and reflect on aspects that may have come later from Christianity. The stories were used to teach cultural values and philosophical ideas within these nations, and also to teach the European invaders that the Wabanaki (the collective name for the peoples of Northern New England and Maritime Canada) had culture and philosophy worthy of being noticed and engaged in interactive dialogue. A philosophy of creation emerges that is decidedly different from Christianity.