Tales and legends help express values and preserve the history and imagination of a community. Aboriginal legends are often related to the environment and nature, but also to phenomena that cannot be explained.
For example, the legend of Sedna is an Inuit legend that tells how a girl became a goddess of the sea after being banished from her village because she had disobeyed her father. The value of obedience to one’s parents is highlighted in this story.
The legend of Aataensic explained the Huron-Wendat story of the origin of the world. It tells how a woman fell from the sky onto the back of the Great Turtle. To help her, the wise Great Turtle and marine animals built the Earth on top of the turtle’s shell. Whenever the Great Turtle moves, the earth trembles.