▁tradition , ▁it ▁should ▁not ▁be ▁confused ▁with ▁the ▁trib al ▁belief s ▁of ▁any ▁community ▁of ▁native ▁people . ▁ ▁Fol kl ore ▁consists ▁of ▁leg ends , ▁music , ▁or al ▁history , ▁pro ver bs , ▁j okes , ▁popular ▁belief s , ▁fair y ▁tales , ▁stories , ▁tall ▁tales , ▁and ▁custom s ▁that ▁are ▁the ▁trad itions ▁of ▁a ▁culture , ▁sub c ulture , ▁or ▁group . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁set ▁of ▁practices ▁through ▁which ▁those ▁express ive ▁gen res ▁are ▁shared . ▁ ▁Native ▁American ▁fol kl ore ▁Native ▁American ▁cult ures ▁are ▁rich ▁in ▁myth s ▁and ▁leg ends ▁that ▁explain ▁natural ▁phen omena ▁and ▁the ▁relationship ▁between ▁humans ▁and ▁the ▁spirit ▁world . ▁According ▁to ▁Bar re ▁To el ken , ▁fe athers , ▁be ad work , ▁dance ▁steps ▁and ▁music , ▁the ▁events ▁in ▁a ▁story , ▁the ▁shape ▁of ▁a ▁dwell ing , ▁or ▁items ▁of ▁traditional ▁food ▁can ▁be ▁viewed ▁as ▁icons ▁of ▁cultural ▁meaning . ▁ ▁Native ▁American ▁cult ures ▁are ▁numerous ▁and ▁diverse . ▁Though ▁some ▁neighbor ing ▁cult ures ▁hold ▁similar ▁belief s , ▁others ▁can ▁be ▁quite ▁different ▁from ▁one ▁another . ▁The ▁most ▁common ▁myth s ▁are ▁the ▁creation ▁myth s , ▁that ▁tell ▁a ▁story ▁to ▁explain ▁how ▁the ▁earth ▁was ▁formed , ▁and ▁where ▁humans ▁and ▁other ▁be ings ▁came ▁from . ▁O thers ▁may ▁include ▁explan ations ▁about ▁the ▁sun , ▁moon , ▁const ell ations , ▁specific ▁animals ,