Legends of North America's peoples
The Indigenous peoples of North America have told powerful stories for thousands of years, and this word search gathers figures from many of them. You'll be finding the clever trickster COYOTE, the transforming RAVEN, the storm-bringing THUNDERBIRD, and the great spirit MANITOU.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection from the list, so the figures change every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a longer-word challenge once the diagonals and backwards words appear on Hard.
Tricksters, creators and sacred beings
Many nations and many tales are here, and the words with them. There are tricksters like the SPIDER INKTOMI and the clown HEYOKA, the hero NANABOZHO and his grandmother NOKOMIS, and creators and culture-bringers like GLOOSCAP, MAHEO, TIRAWA and the corn spirit MONDAMIN. You'll also meet the sea goddess SEDNA, the fearsome WENDIGO and SKINWALKER, the thunder being WAKINYAN, the water monster UNKTEHI, the east wind WABUN, the WORLD-carrying TURTLE, and the idea of WAKAN — the sacred.
Many nations, many living cultures
It's important to know that there is no single 'Native American mythology': North America is home to hundreds of distinct Indigenous nations — like the Lakota, Ojibwe, Haida and many more — each with its own language, beliefs and stories, many of which are still told and held sacred by their communities today. The figures in this grid come from across that wide variety, which is why some, like the trickster COYOTE or RAVEN, appear in different forms in many nations' tales.
These stories often teach how to live well and explain the natural world. The mighty THUNDERBIRD beats its wings to make thunder; a story shared by several peoples imagines the whole WORLD resting on the back of a giant TURTLE (which is why some call North America 'Turtle Island'); and tricksters like COYOTE and INKTOMI the spider get into mischief that carries a lesson. Because these are living, respected traditions, they're best approached with care — and they make a rich, eye-opening world-cultures topic.
Great for a world-cultures topic
It's a great fit for a mythology or world-cultures lesson — Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words. Play online, print a PDF pack, or use Make Your Own to build a grid from your own list of figures.
Frequently asked questions
What's in the Native American mythology word search?
Figures from the legends of North America's peoples — the tricksters Coyote, Raven and Inktomi the spider, the Thunderbird, the great spirit Manitou, the sea goddess Sedna, and heroes like Nanabozho and Glooscap. Each puzzle uses a fresh mix.
Which figures can you find?
Tricksters like COYOTE, RAVEN and the SPIDER INKTOMI, the storm-bringing THUNDERBIRD, the great spirit MANITOU, the sea goddess SEDNA, heroes NANABOZHO and GLOOSCAP, plus the WENDIGO, the world-carrying TURTLE and the sacred WAKAN.
Is it good for a world-cultures topic?
Great fit for a mythology or world-cultures lesson. Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words.