All the Native groups in Alaska have rich folklore, myths, and children’s stories about Raven. These tales describe how Raven created various things, his encounters with other animals, his clever tricks, and how he was sometimes tricked by others. One story even tells of his encounter with a man who developed from a pea pod. Raven believed he was the smartest in the world until he met an old woman.

Raven is said to have had white feathers before he found light. In the beginning, the earth was shrouded in darkness, with only oil lamps lighting their dwellings. One day, Raven announced that he would search for light so everyone could see. He scoured the land but found nothing. Determined, he ventured into the heavens to continue his search. Many days passed without any sign of him. Then, one day, Raven returned, jubilant but singed and blackened. With great excitement, he exclaimed, “I found the light!”

The light he discovered was the sun, and the Milky Way is the trail he left behind with his snowshoes.