Mythology
Native American Mythology Quiz
Coyote the trickster, Thunderbird's storms, and the creation stories that shaped a continent.
Coyote the trickster, Thunderbird's storms, and the creation stories that shaped a continent.
From the Haida of the Pacific Northwest to the Hopi of the Southwest and the Lakota of the Great Plains, Indigenous peoples of North America have developed rich and diverse mythological traditions over thousands of years. This quiz explores the shared archetypes and unique stories across many nations — trickster figures, creation myths, sacred ceremonies, and spirit beings that remain culturally vital today.
Kokopelli, the flute-playing fertility deity of the Southwest, has been depicted in petroglyphs for over 3,000 years — one of the most enduring figures in Indigenous art and mythology. This quiz explores that depth of tradition alongside dozens of other sacred stories, from Sky Woman's fall to the Wendigo's winter terror.
Each round presents 10 randomized multiple-choice questions drawn from a pool of 50, so every playthrough is different. You get instant feedback with explanations after each answer, plus a shareable score at the end.
Questions cover trickster figures like Coyote and Raven, Pacific Northwest traditions including Raven stealing light, Iroquois creation stories featuring Sky Woman and Turtle Island, Ojibwe figures like Nanabozho, Lakota sacred traditions including White Buffalo Calf Woman, Hopi and Navajo emergence stories and Kachinas, Spider Woman's weaving of the world, the Wendigo and Skinwalker of Algonquian and Navajo tradition, totem pole symbolism, vision quests, medicine wheels, and the fertility deity Kokopelli.
Coyote is the archetypal trickster across Plains, Southwest, and Great Basin traditions — simultaneously a creator, a fool, and a cultural hero. He is credited with stealing fire for humans in many traditions, and his chaotic schemes teach moral lessons through comedy and failure. His contradictions are the point: Coyote embodies the humor and chaos inherent in existence.
The Thunderbird is a powerful supernatural being found across many North American Indigenous traditions. Its beating wings produce thunder and its eyes flash lightning. It is often depicted in eternal battle with the Underwater Serpent, representing the cosmic struggle between sky and water powers. It appears prominently on totem poles across Pacific Northwest nations.
Turtle Island is a name for North America used in the creation stories of the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee), Ojibwe, Lenape, and other nations. In the Iroquois creation story, Sky Woman falls from the Sky World and animals dive to bring mud from the ocean floor, which is placed on a turtle's back and expands to form the earth. The name remains widely used in Indigenous communities today.
Last updated: March 2026