Summary of the Haudenosaunee foundational myth
In ancient times, the world as we know it did not yet exist. The Sky was home to the Great Spirit and his daughter, Sky Woman. One day, an opening appeared beneath the Sacred Tree in the Land of the Happy Spirits, and Sky Woman fell into the unknown. As she plummeted toward a world covered in water, the water animals worked together to save her.
After many failed attempts, the muskrat successfully retrieved a small amount of earth. The animals placed the soil onto the back of a turtle, which grew to become Turtle Island, our world.
Sky Woman, holding seeds from the Upper World, planted them in the new earth, giving birth to plants and landscapes. From her descendants came two opposing twins, the Good Spirit and the Evil Spirit. The Good Spirit shaped the stars, the sun, and benevolent creatures, while his brother created thorns, venomous animals, and darkness. Their struggle lasted many days, and, unable to settle their differences, they left Turtle Island, giving humans free will—to choose between balance and destruction, wisdom and chaos—always considering the seven generations to come.
Sky Woman
A Native American Myth ( Project 2027 )
Plasticiens Volants and Haudenosaunee Artists:
A unique creation inspired by the foundational myth Sky Woman
Plasticiens Volants is collaborating with Haudenosaunee artists on a new production inspired by the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Creation Story. This project, developed under the artistic direction and with the artwork of Seneca artist and Heron Clan knowledge keeper G. Peter Jemison, also features performances by the Skywoman Iroquois Dance Theater. It represents a unique meeting between Indigenous storytelling and large-scale visual spectacle.
After two research residencies in the United States, Plasticiens Volants created the first inflatable element of the show: the Turtle, a central figure in Haudenosaunee cosmology. This inflatable structure was made possible with the support of the Département du Tarn and artistic research residencies funded by the Région Occitanie and the Institut Français.
Now, the Turtle is ready to be integrated into a live performance, bringing together Haudenosaunee dancers, musicians, and storytellers alongside Plasticiens Volants artists.
This performance aims to honor Indigenous stories and offer a monumental, living representation of a foundational Haudenosaunee myth while addressing universal themes such as creation, balance, and ecological consciousness. It is a valuable opportunity to foster intercultural dialogue and deepen the understanding of the past and future of Indigenous peoples.
“While other peoples in the world were building great stone monuments, the Haudenosaunee began with their own human nature: the struggle to balance emotions—the ones that destroy and the ones that heal. Today, can we learn to love the world as it is, before humanity destroys all forms of life? These twin and opposite emotions live within us. Our elders ask us to honor our teachings.Let us learn to find balance in our behavior toward one another.”Apprenons à trouver l'équilibre dans nos comportements envers les autres."
G. Peter Jemison, Seneca Knowledge Keeper
“This magnificent project, centered on the Haudenosaunee creation myth, lives within us and fuels our dreams. It symbolizes a better, more tolerant, and generous humanity—one that takes the time to weigh good and evil in its decisions, with the intention of protecting and respecting its children and Mother Earth. This is what many of us wish for, from the depths of our hearts.”
Marc Etieve, Artistic Coordinator, Plasticiens Volants
Artistic Intent for "Sky Woman"
Plasticiens Volants has always sought to go beyond mere spectacle by creating works that question, awaken curiosity, and provoke reflection. Through this new project, we aim to explore universal themes such asacceptance of differences, tolerance, and cultural preservation.
Inspired by the Haudenosaunee Creation Story, this project was born out of a desire for collaboration with Indigenous artists and the necessity of preserving and transmitting endangered cultural heritage.
Bringing this myth to the stage is no trivial act—it is a way of paying tribute to a people whose history has been marked by attempts at erasure and forced assimilation. The giant inflatable structures, emblematic of our company, become a way to make visible a long-ignored culture and cosmogony. By working closely with Haudenosaunee artists and storytellers, we ensure that this performance remains faithful to their tradition while being accessible to a wide audience.
“This magnificent project, centered on the Haudenosaunee creation myth, lives within us and fuels our dreams. It symbolizes a better, more tolerant, and generous humanity—one that takes the time to weigh good and evil in its decisions, with the intention of protecting and respecting its children and Mother Earth. This is what many of us wish for, from the depths of our hearts.”
Marc Etieve, Artistic Coordinator, Plasticiens Volants
Turtle Island – First stage of the performance’s creation
The first phase of the show inspired by the Haudenosaunee Creation Story is entitled “Turtle Island.” This stage brings to life one of the most emblematic elements of Haudenosaunee cosmology: the Turtle, carrying on its back the world in formation.
This creation is the result of a collaboration between Plasticiens Volants, G. Peter Jemison, and the Skywoman Iroquois Dance Theater, under the choreographic direction of Bill Crouse (Seneca Nation, Hawk Clan). Haudenosaunee artists – dancers, musicians, and storytellers – take an active part in the creation and performance of the piece, giving shape to a living work that unites visual art, oral tradition, and contemporary performance.
Developed in partnership with Unicycle Productions (Sonia Kozlova Clark, USA), “Turtle Island” premiered in October 2025 in the United States, with performances at the Ganondagan State Historic Site (New York), TurnPark Art Space (Massachusetts), and later in Prospect Park Alliance and Hudson River Park (New York City). This first North American tour marks the beginning of a transatlantic artistic dialogue between cultures, blending mythology and a contemporary reflection on our relationship with the living world.
Synopsis of the performance "Turtle Island"
In the beginning, there is nothing — only a watery glow and a mass of earth hidden beneath a world of water.
As the drum begins to pulse like a primordial heartbeat, the audience gathers.
A storyteller, Bill Crouse (Seneca Nation, Hawk Clan), opens the tale with the words of the beginning — words that purify sight, free the ear, and prepare the spirit to receive ancient memory.
He tells of the opening of the sky and the fall of Sky Woman. As she descends, the birds rise to meet her, slowing her fall, while the Turtle moves forward to offer her a place of refuge on its back. The water animals dive down to bring up earth from the depths. The muskrat, last to plunge, succeeds in bringing a handful of soil which he lays upon the shell before giving his life.
On this newborn island, a dancer embodies Sky Woman, sowing the earth she carried from the Upper World.
At her feet, a shell emerges — a symbol of the first life awakening.
The Turtle grows, the land expands, and the world begins to take form.
Haudenosaunee dancers perform traditional dances, accompanied by song and percussion. At moments, they invite the audience to join them, reviving the collective spirit of the original story.
Under the storyteller’s voice unfolds the tale of Sky Woman’s daughter and her twin sons, the Good Spirit and the Evil Spirit, whose struggle gives birth to the animals, the elements, and the first humans.
The drum grows more intense as the performance evokes the respect owed to the Earth and to all those who share it.
The storyteller reminds us of the importance of the bonds that unite us — bonds to be nurtured and preserved each day.
Then, the Turtle, now a refuge and a shelter, unfolds its shell into a vast tent, gathering performers and spectators beneath its gentle shadow.
It remains the shelter of the world — memory of the beginning, and promise of continuity.
Supporting the "Turtle Island" project
This ambitious project is seeking partnerships for its creation and development. We invite co-producers, institutions, patrons, and presenters to join this unique artistic adventure.
North American Contact
French Contact
Citation
"Human beings living on this planet must break away from the narrow concept of human liberation and begin to see liberation as something that must extend to the entire Natural World. What is needed is the liberation of everything that sustains Life – the air, the waters, the trees – everything that forms the sacred fabric of the Living.
The Indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere can contribute to the survival of the human species. The majority of our peoples still live in accordance with traditions deeply rooted in Mother Earth. But Indigenous peoples need a space where their voices can be heard. We also need alliances with other peoples of the world to help us in our struggle to reclaim and preserve our ancestral lands and protect our traditional way of life.
Traditional Indigenous peoples hold the key to reversing the destructive processes of Western civilization, which carry within them the promise of unimaginable suffering and destruction in the future. And we, the Indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere, are among the oldest surviving guardians of this awareness… Our culture is one of the oldest continuously existing cultures in the world. We are the spiritual caretakers of this land."
(Excerpt from A Basic Call to Consciousness, a speech by the Haudenosaunee addressed to the Western world at the United Nations Conference on Indigenous Peoples in 1977, published in Akwesasne Notes, 1979.)