▁exist ▁in ▁slightly ▁different ▁forms ▁in ▁the ▁different ▁communities ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁have ▁been ▁preserved . ▁But ▁for ▁the ▁most ▁part , ▁they ▁still ▁form ▁a ▁un ified ▁system ▁of ▁the ology . ▁ ▁Cre ation ▁belief s ▁The ▁Ch ero kee ▁creation ▁stories ▁describe ▁the ▁Earth ▁as ▁a ▁great ▁floating ▁island ▁surrounded ▁by ▁se aw ater . ▁ ▁It ▁hang s ▁from ▁the ▁sky ▁by ▁c ords ▁attached ▁at ▁the ▁four ▁cardinal ▁points . ▁ ▁The ▁story ▁tells ▁that ▁the ▁first ▁earth ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁when ▁D â y uni ' s ï ▁, ▁the ▁little ▁Water ▁be et le ▁came ▁from ▁G äl û ñ ' l ät ï , ▁the ▁sky ▁real m , ▁the ▁Water ▁Be et le ▁was ▁not ▁affected ▁by ▁the ▁natural ▁laws ▁of ▁cause ▁and ▁effect , ▁existing ▁outside ▁of ▁the ▁caus ality ▁and ▁went ▁to ▁see ▁what ▁was ▁below ▁the ▁water . ▁ ▁He ▁sc ur ried ▁over ▁the ▁surface ▁of ▁the ▁water , ▁but ▁found ▁no ▁solid ▁place ▁to ▁rest . ▁ ▁He ▁div ed ▁to ▁the ▁bottom ▁of ▁the ▁water ▁and ▁brought ▁up ▁some ▁soft ▁mud . ▁ ▁This ▁mud ▁expanded ▁in ▁every ▁direction ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁earth , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁account ▁recorded ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁by ▁the ▁Bureau ▁of ▁American ▁Eth n ology . ▁ ▁The ▁other ▁animals ▁in ▁G äl û ñ ' l ät ï ▁were ▁eager ▁to ▁come ▁down ▁to ▁the ▁new ▁earth , ▁and ▁first ▁birds ▁were ▁sent ▁to ▁see ▁if ▁the ▁mud ▁was