Native American Storytelling

Native American Storytelling

Components of Oral Tradition, Themes, and

Character Archetypes

What is an Oral Tradition?

●Storytelling by word of mouth

●Passing stories down through the generations

●The next four slides are key components of Native American oral traditions

Drag and Drop

Which characteristics are part of the oral tradition?​

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Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

Storytelling through word of mouth

Passing stories down verbally through generations

Written history and literature passed down

Journals left behind by ancestors

Use of textbooks and other nonfiction writing

Repetition

•Used for ease of recall and to create emphasis
•Examples: repeated words, phrases, situations

Multiple Choice

Which is an example of repetition?

• In the beginning, there was no earth, no light, no sky.

• Steve was as clumsy as a baby giraffe.

• The sparrow darted swiftly over the windswept meadow.

• Dogs and cats are both beloved options for family pets.

Poetic Devices
•Alliteration: repeated sounds at the beginning of words

Example: Tall Tom tickled Tiny Tim.

•Personification: giving human qualities to inhuman creatures or objects

Example: The clouds danced across the sky.

•Metaphor: Comparing one thing to another without using “like” or “as”

Example: He was a bull in a china shop.

•Simile: Comparing one thing to another using “like” or “as”

Example: He was as clumsy as a bull in a china shop.

•Symbolism: Something which stands for something else

Example: A red rose is a symbol of love.

Match

Match the following poetic devices to their examples.

• Alliteration

• Personification

• Metaphor

• Simile

• Symbol

Big Billy baboon blundered brokenly down the boulevard.

The tea kettle screamed to announce the water was ready.

She was a steady rock in the stormy sea of the argument.

John was as clever as a fox.

The partners exchanged wedding rings during the ceremony to show their commitment.

• Big Billy baboon blundered brokenly down the boulevard.

• The tea kettle screamed to announce the water was ready.

• She was a steady rock in the stormy sea of the argument.

• John was as clever as a fox.

• The partners exchanged wedding rings during the ceremony to show their commitment.

Numbers

● Often repeated for emphasis and ease of recall

Example: Goldilocks and the Three Bears

●

4 and 7 often used because they are sacred numbers

Multiple Choice

Which is an example of the use of numbers in storytelling?

• Sam is a changed person after the trials of their quest.

• Brady uses a magical sword gifted by a goddess to vanquish his foes.

• Melody encounters three women who give her advice on her journey.

• Sarah must go into the perils of the "underworld" to rescue her best friend.

Logos

•A statement or argument used to persuade a reader using logic or reason

•Concrete nouns: Something you can experience through the five senses

•Concrete nouns are used to label important elements, both human and
non-human
•Example: Using concrete nouns to label important things gives a logical explanation for sometimes abstract concepts.
●

Native American myths use logic to explain the “unexplainable”

Multiple Choice

Which option best shows an example of logos in storytelling?

• Deborah and Margaret become friends.

• The sky can be different colors because a god left his paints out and paint smears in the rain.

• The Earth rotates on its axis and orbits around the sun.

• "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary..."

Common Themes

●Creation of the world

●Creation of humans/first mate

●Giving gifts (fire, food, shelter) to humans

●How death entered the world

●Pairs, opposites, balance

●Moral lesson

Categorize

Options (10)

Creation of the World

Creation of humans

Give gifts to humans (fire, language, etc.)

How death entered the world

Pairs, opposites, balance

Hero journeys to the underworld

Chivalry and knighthood

Coming of age stories and growing up

Individual identity and self-worth

Romance and love

Which themes are common in Native American stories, and which aren't?

Common Theme Native American Stories

NOT Common in Native Stories

Character Archetypes

●Hero

●Trickster

●Shape Changer

●Great Spirit

●Animals that have human characteristics

Categorize

Options (8)

Trickster

Hero

Lovers

Mad Scientist

Shape Changer

Great Spirit

Innocent

Explorer

Organize these character archetypes into the correct categories.

Common to Native Stories

NOT Common to Native Stories

Match

Match the following characteristic of Native American Oral Tradition to its example.

• Repetition

• Poetic Devices

• Numbers

• Logos

• Theme

He descended from the heavens. He descended through the Earth. He descended to the Underworld.

"I will fly to the top of the mountain," the Eagle said to Alfred.

The storm raged for seven days and seven nights.

The elephant sprayed off a muddy giraffe, but it didn't all wash off. That's how giraffe got spots.

Prometheus stole fire to give to the humans.

• He descended from the heavens. He descended through the Earth. He descended to the Underworld.

• "I will fly to the top of the mountain," the Eagle said to Alfred.

• The storm raged for seven days and seven nights.

• The elephant sprayed off a muddy giraffe, but it didn't all wash off. That's how giraffe got spots.

• Prometheus stole fire to give to the humans.