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Native Americans: Beginnings to 1750
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Historical Context First Native Americans migrated from Asia across the Bering Strait 35,000 years ago. They migrated all over North and South America, forming hundreds of tribes.
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Historical Context Christopher Columbus reached North America in 1492
Found the area inhabited by Native American tribes
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Values Bonds of kinship, or strong ties among family members, ensured a continuation of tribal customs. Elders instructed the young and in return the young honored the elders and their departed ancestors. They believed that land was a source of life, not a commodity to be sold.
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Native American Beliefs
All parts of nature are made up of animals Everything is sacred, spiritual, and has life The land is not to be owned Polytheistic…many gods as seen in myths Prominent roles for women Cycles of nature ruled life.
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The Native American Oral Tradition
Oral literature – stories passed down from one generation to the next as they were told and retold in the privacy of households and in tribal ceremonies. Myth – anonymous, traditional story that relies on supernatural phenomenon to explain a natural phenomenon, an aspect of human nature, or a mystery of the universe. (Seek to explain why the world is the way it is)
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Creation vs. Origin Creation myths – tell how the world and human life came to exist Origin myths – explain how natural phenomenon such as the stars, moon, and mountains came to be or why a society has certain beliefs and customs.
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Dominant Themes & Motifs in Native American Literature
relationships between humans and animals respect and reverence (thinking highly of something or someone) for mother earth and nature land as the strength of the people village/community/tribe as sovereign (leading/ruling)
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Literary Terms Allusion: reference to someone or something that is known from history, literature, religion, sports, etc. Myth: traditional stories passed down from generation to generation Alliteration: Repetition of the initial consonant sound Simile: extended metaphor using “like” or “as” Anecdote: short story that teaches a meaning
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