Stockbridge-Munsee Oral Tradition
The Four Directions
When the Creator was finished making the earth, he gave responsibility for the four quarters of the Earth to four powerful beings, or mani'towuk. Their duty was to take care of these regions. These beings caused the winds to blow from different directions, and are responsible for other phenomena as well. Winter is the result of a game of bowl and dice between the mani'towuk of the north and the mani'towuk of the south.
Their ingenuity and ability to adapt to their surroundings supported them as they settled across a broad range of environments and developed into hundreds of culturally diverse tribes.