Geezhigo-Quae

Grandmother of Us All

It is said that Geezhigo-Quae came from the Sky People, powerful beings that lived high up in the sky above the clouds. The story is that she grew heavy with child and came down to the earth to deliver, but found there was no safe purchase because the World was covered in water. Whether she came down of her own accord, fell, or was instructed by Kitchi-Manitou is a matter of contention, and Geezhigo-Quae makes no attempt to correct the story whenever she hears it told.

Once she was upon the World, a great turtle allowed her to rest upon its back while she entreated the animals to find her earth from deep below the water. The animals responded, trying one after another, until the muskrat was able to bring forth a paw full of earth.

Sky Woman caused this soil to grow and expand until it had covered the entirety of the great turtle, forming Turtle Island. Once made, plants and trees immediately took root and grew,
providing her with a sustainable place to deliver her child. This was the home of the people. She laid the groundwork, in the most literal sense, for the rest of the peoples to come.

Geezhigo-Quae continues to watch over the people. She cares deeply about humans in general and will advise any who seek her out. She is very quick to adopt other Scions, seeing them all as her grandchildren. Scions in her care can be seen displaying Callings and Purviews that come from other Manitou. Some wield powers that come from a range of Titans and Primordial beings from the fringes that are simply accepted by the Manitou as Manitou as long as they don’t cause too much trouble.

Geezhigo-Quae’s own Scions find that they are driven to gather people together and act as caretakers. Some have adamantly argued that there she has no Scions beyond those that she’s Chosen, in that she doesn’t birth new Scions. She typically only has one Scion at a time, usually a woman. Sometimes she is gifted with power; sometimes she is mostly human. Unfortunately, these Scions often die after they have children of their own. Those of her Scions who survive speculate that she gives birth to her own Incarnation, some aspect of herself trapped in a cosmic cycle.

#### **Turtle Island**

Turtle Island is an interesting phenomenon. It is most of the World, but not all of the World. There are obviously other islands besides Turtle Island, but those islands came later, and most likely have turtles beneath them (or something else). What is important about Turtle Island is that it hasn’t always been there and will, in time, return to the waters. While it is a part of the Earth, it isn’t strictly speaking Mother Earth (Muzzu-Kumik-Quae), who was there before Turtle Island and covered in water. Turtle Island is an allowance from her, part of her, that is called up from the waters to support the people. Only great Manitou can communicate with the earth-divers, creatures who can retrieve the gift of the soil seed from Mother Earth’s home deep beneath the waters, and then cause the gift to grow into the portion of World we call a Turtle Island. It is affected by her mood, and she can reclaim it by extending her waters. It is a sacred gift of renewal that can bring great life, if only by destroying what was once there with creation anew.

Sky Woman wasn’t the only one to call forth a Turtle Island from the depths of the waters. Nana’b’ooozoo and Wisakedjak did as well. The flood has occurred more than once, and there is belief among Manitou and humans that it will occur again soon. Muzzu-Kumik-Quae has been rumbling of late about how dirty she feels and how a bath is well overdue. She dares not call forth the Island without the blessings of Kitchi-Manitou but, just in case, Geezhigo-Quae keeps an eye out for a Scion or someone else to teach the secret should it need to be repeated. She doesn’t trust Nana’b’oozoo to always be around or to get it right again.