Native American Literature Honors English 10

Oral Tradition American literature begins with the orally transmitted myths, legends, tales, and lyrics of Native American tribes.

The Native Americans spoke hundreds of languages and lived in incredibly diverse societies with varied mythological beliefs. Despite their differences, their cultures and literary traditions had the following common elements:

believed in the power of words and relied on memory stories are not defined by the boundaries of written language the oral tradition was a performance and is offered to the audience as dramatic events in time

the storyteller is very important to culture and is one of the most honored and respected members of the tribe/society there is no known original author these stories are open to personal interpretation

These oral stories were chanted, spoken, sung and repeated over and over until embedded into the memories of the next generations. The Native American oral tradition was the only way to pass on tribal history, heritage, and cultural practices for some tribes. In order to continue hundreds of years of a tribe’s history the young must listen and remember the stories the elders tell and then pass them on.

Some Dominant Themes & Motifs: relationships between humans and animals respect and reverence for mother earth and nature land as the strength of the people village/community/tribe as sovereign cyclical patterns: renewal and continuance importance of tribal traditions and history

What is a myth? The word itself comes from the Greek "mythos" which originally meant "speech" or "discourse"

Myth A traditional story that deals with goddesses, gods, heroes, and/or supernatural forces. A myth may explain a belief, a custom, or a force of nature.

The 4 Major Functions of Myth: 1. Instills a sense of awe toward the universe 2. Explains the workings of the natural world 3. Supports and validates social customs 4. Guides people through the trials of living by establishing rules, guidelines, and a religion. What is supernatural? Give me an example. Why are myths important to a culture?

Creation Myths Etiology- study of beginning or causation Explain the beginning of the universe, Earth, land, or tribe.

Creation Myths… SHOW WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THE TRIBE! (corn, animals, rituals, etc.)- CULTURAL DETAILS!!! State the place and people of origin Describe what existed before the “creation” EXPLAIN the “creation” of things or the beginnings of rituals EXPLAIN who or what did the creating

Characters in Myths Always have a flaw Represents/reflects how real human have flaws Teach how to deal if you let your flaw get the best of you Look for the character flaws in myths

Coyote/Trickster Coyote is a mythological character common to many Native American cultures, based on the coyote(Canis latrans) animal. This character is usually male and may have some coyote-like physical features such as fur, pointed ears, yellow eyes, tail and claws. The myths and legends which include Coyote vary widely from culture to culture.

Coyote Coyote often plays the role of trickster, god of tricks, although in some stories he is a buffoon and the butt of jokes and in a few is outright evil. His positive traits include humor and sometimes cleverness. His negative traits are usually greed or desire, recklessness, impulsiveness and jealousy.

Trickster Tales One form of creation story Vary from tribe to tribe, but contain the same basic qualities: – Trickster are more than deceivers who make us laugh – By crossing social boundaries, they both break rules and show how important rules are – Tricksters are creators in their own rights