1. Native American Literature
“Columbus did not discover a new world; he established contact between two worlds, both already old.”
The Spanish Seaborne Empire – J. H. Parry

2. Journal: Finish the starter below – ¾ page
Once upon a time, a poor but kindly couple had a son. Although he owned little of this world’s wealth, the child was cheerful and clever………

3. Important Literary Terms to Know
Myth – an anonymous traditional story that is basically religious in nature and that usually serves to explain a belief, ritual, or mysterious natural phenomenon
Archetype – a very old imaginative pattern that appears in literature across cultures and is repeated through the ages. An archetype can be a character, a plot, an image, a theme, or a setting

4. The purpose of Native American literature was to show:
Beliefs about the nature of physical world
Beliefs about social order and appropriate behavior
Beliefs about human nature and the problem of good and evil
Preservation and communication of spiritual beliefs

5. Characteristics of Native American Myths
Major role in the stories is often played by animals
Ordinary people, animals, and places were divinities
All were originally oral stories passed down for many generations
The stories and legends often have ritual beginnings and endings
Progress and change are shown as cyclical, not linear as many western thinking normally follows
Many of the stories have a “trickster” character
Often uses repetition of elements

6. Common Themes Movement from a sky world to a water world
Fortunate fall – creation story
Earth diver myth usually involving an earth made from mud or a flood after the universe is created
Theft of fire
Emergence myth – movement of beings from under the surface of the earth