Native American Literature

Native American

Literature

Open Ended

^{Myths reveal the deep connections between Native American societies and the natural world.}

^{Briefly describe the types of details you expect to find in stories made by people who respect nature.}

Native American Literature

★ Intro to Native American

Literature

★ Oral Tradition
★ Creation Mythology
★ Origin Mythology
★ Archetypes
★ Trickster Tales

The First Americans

■ The original native peoples

belonged to more than 200
distinct groups who spoke
more than 500 different
languages.

■ Names of these peoples such

as Anishinabe and Lakota
meant “the people.”

The First Americans

■ Life was dictated by natural surroundings

which varied greatly.

■ Complex religions, sophisticated political

systems, strong social values all reflected
their literature

What they believe

• Close relationships with nature

• Natural phenomenon as a means of explaining

creation, spirituality as well as their identity.

Open Ended

What is your birth totem (Spirit Animal)?

Creation Myths

Center on:
•Light and darkness
•Good and evil
•Dueling forces in nature.
•Their cycle of life:

✔Hunting
✔Fishing
✔Life
✔Death

Story Telling

Native Americans rely heavily on story tellers to
continue the telling of the story of their culture
through oral tradition. They were held in high
esteem.

They were the bridge to the past and the path
for the future.

Stories and Nature

• They are filled with imagery of their

surroundings.

• They create a relationship between

themselves, the cosmos, and all of the
creatures they know exist on earth.

• There is no evil precondition.

Open Ended

Why are feathers important to Native Americans?

• Native American Names have roots in spirit animals, which

give them strength.

• Examples:

• Antinanco-Eagle of sun

• Aucaman-Wild Condor

• Nahuel-Jaguar

• Nita-Bear

Strength in a Name

Open Ended

Why are names so important?

Multiple Choice

How did Native Americans share their literature?

• Diaries

• Letters

• Journals

• Word of mouth

Multiple Choice

True/False: With oral tradition, stories can become distorted and lead to multiple versions

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The purpose of this was to explain how life/ Earth came to be

• Fable

• Creation myth

• Fairytale

• Divine myth

Multiple Choice

Which group worshiped many gods and had a close relationship with nature?

• Explorers

• Settlers

• Puritans

• Native Americans

Multiple Choice

Much of the early Native American literature did not survive because

• Explorers burned it

• They realized there were other ways to explain things in the world

• Native Americans were being wiped out by European diseases

• None are correct

Multiple Choice

Native American Literature uses a lot of human characters, but they also utilize what:

• Drawings

• Make-believe characters

• Animals

• Videos

Multiple Select

Native Americans use stories in order to teach:

• Morals

• Rules

• Practical knowledge about the world

• All of the Above

Multiple Choice

What are Oral Traditions?

• Are stories and history of a group passed by books from generation to generation

• Are stories and history of a group passed by drawings from generation to generation

• Are stories and history of a group passed by writing from generation to generation

• Are stories and history of a group passed by word of mouth from generation to generation

Multiple Select

A lot of Native American Literature is unknown because:

• It was passed around orally

• A lot of Native Americans were wiped out

• It was destroyed

• All of the Above

Multiple Choice

This type of story explains how the world and things in it came to be.

• legend

• myth

• fable

• nursery rhyme

Multiple Choice

Native American myths originated as oral stories passed down verbally.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

What is a creation myth?

• Stories that provide an account of how the universe was made.

• Stories that people made up about how the world began because they didn't have any scientific facts.

• Stories that provide an account of how the world began through the use of a symbolic narrative.

• Stories that ancient tribes made up to entertain people while explaining how the world began.

Open Ended

What was a benefit of passing folklore to younger members of each group?