Origin of Day and Night

When there was only night, Tiri—the fox—could find food, but Ukaliq—the hare—could not, and she called for daylight. The two eventually agreed to take turns calling for day and night so each could find food and live together in harmony. This origin story based on Inuit mythology lends itself well as a read-aloud in a primary classroom and as a segue into an exploration of legends of Indigenous Peoples. In the classroom, students may be encouraged to reflect on oral storytelling and discuss how the two animals learned to compromise so they could each have their needs met.