1. Native American Literature: Origin Myths

2. Myth The word itself comes from the Greek term mythos, which originally meant “speech” or “discourse”.

3. What is a myth? A traditional story explaining how the world and its inhabitants came to be

4. Oral tradition stories passed down verballyNative American myths originated as oral tradition: stories passed down verbally

5. Four functions of a myth:

6. 1. To explain creation

7. 2. To explain the workings of the natural world: every corner, every rock, hill, stone, and flower has its place and its meaning.

8. 3. To pass down the moral and ethical codes that support and validate social customs.

9. 4. To teach : to guide the people through the trials of living

10. Creation myths Explain how the universe, the earth, and life on earth began.

11. Essentials of Creation Myths

12. 1.SHOW WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THE TRIBE! (values, food, animals, rituals, etc.) 2.State the place and people of origin 3. Describe what existed before the “creation” 4. EXPLAIN the “creation” of things or the beginnings of rituals 5. EXPLAIN who or what did the creating Creation Myths…

13. You have an oral tradition history too. Everyone’s first exposure to literature is oral – lullabies, bedtime stories, and nursery rhymes. However, in Native American culture, the oral tradition was the means by which the young learned tribal history and beliefs. The oral literature required long periods of memorization, so Native Americans often used drum music as well as pictographs, knotted string, and coded wampum belts as memory aids.

14. What’s in a name? Many Native American peoples developed animal clans or societies. The Mohawks, for example, had 3 animal clans: Wolf, Bear, and Turtle. People frequently attributed the characteristics of these animals to clan members. Thus members of the Bear Clan were said to be strong and dangerous, while people in the Turtle Clan were reserved and methodical.