Early American Literature NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURE AND COLONIAL

Early American Literature NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURE AND COLONIAL LITERATURE

How do we make sense of our world? �Since the beginning of time, people of all cultures have gathered to discuss one of life’s biggest question: how was the world created?

Native American Lit. Vocabulary �myth – a traditional story, usually involving supernatural beings or events, that explains how some aspect of human nature or the natural world came to be. �creation myth – a specific kind of myth that typically describes how the universe, earth, and life began explains the working of the natural world supports and validates social customs and values

How do we make sense of our world? �The Iroquois creation myth you’re about to read offers one answer to this question about the origin of the world. �“The World on the Turtle’s Back” is filled with conflict and compelling characters. The Iroquois passed down this story from one generation to the next by telling it in elaborate performances. �In the 1800’s an Iroquois author recorded one version of the story. �Today, more than 25 written versions of the story exist.

“The World on the Turtle’s Back” �Handout �Website

“The World on the Turtle’s Back” �According to Native American literature scholars Larry Evers and Paul Pavich, creation stories “remind the people of who and what they are, why they are in this particular place, and how they should continue to live here. ” Do you think that “The World on the Turtle’s Back” fulfills these functions for the Iroquois people? Explain citing textual evidence from the text to support your response.

“The Coyote and the Buffalo” �Trickster Tales: a type of folk tale that features either an animal or a human character who engages in deceit, violence, and magic. �They often explain some aspect of human nature or how the natural world came to be.

“The Coyote and the Buffalo” Trickster tales endure because they are meant to be a fun read and also to teach a lesson or moral. What does “Coyote and the Buffalo” teach or explain? Support your answer with textual evidence. 2. A trickster can be defined as one who “dupes others and is always duped himself” and who “possesses no values and is at the mercy of his own passions and desires. ” How does Coyote fit this definition of a trickster? Support your answer with textual evidence. 1.

Historical Narratives �Accounts of real-life historical experiences, written by either a person who experienced those events or someone who studied or observed them. Historical narratives can be divided into two categories � Primary sources – materials written by people who were either participants or observers of the events written about. (letters, diaries, journals, speeches, autobiographies, interviews) � Secondary sources – records of events written by people who were not directly involved in the events. (biographies)

Primary or Secondary Source? ? �The handwritten will of a European settler in Virginia dated 1610 • An encyclopedia article entitled “Puritans” • The Mayflower Compact, an agreement written and signed by passengers on the Mayflower in 1620 • A record of births and deaths kept by the residents of a village in colonial Virginia • A book entitled, Massachusetts Before the Pilgrims, written in 1975. Primary Secondary

What Makes an Explorer? �What is it that causes people to seek out the unknown? �What’s the story behind the glory? �What enables some to survive while others fail? �What character traits do modern-day explorers and early explorers share?

“La Relacion” �Much of our understanding of pre-colonial America comes from the first-person accounts of its early explorers. (historical narratives) �The primary source documents of those first Europeans to view the American landscape describe in vivid detail its many sights and wonders, as well as its dangers and challenges. �The author of “La Relacion”, Alvar Nunez Cabeze de Vaca, chronicles his eight years of wandering through Florida, Texas, and Mexico.

Writing Assignment �Explorers often keep journals of their experiences. These accounts – from the writings of Lewis and Clark to the reports of a modern astronaut – describe what the explorers see and how they are changed by their experiences. �Write a two-to-four paragraph journal entry describing an interesting moment in an exploration. The journey can be real or fictional – a trip to a new town or galaxy, a trek across the desert, or the race to a new invention. Be sure to share your reactions to it!

Writing Tips: �Write in 1 st person using the pronouns I and me. �Clearly recount a specific event or moment in the narrator’s exploration. �Vividly describe surroundings, people, or events influencing the moment. �Idea: Make a sensory chart to help record vivid and meaningful descriptions. �Show the narrator’s reactions to the events. �Spell and capitalize all words correctly.

“The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano” �Slave Narrative – type of historical narrative that portrays the daily life of slaves as written by the slaves themselves after gaining freedom. �Some 6, 000 slave narratives are known to exist. �Slave narratives played a crucial role in winning people over to the cause of abolitionism by informing them about the horrors of slave trade.

Slavery in America The Atlantic slave trade took place between Europe, Africa, and America from 1500 to 1900. Ships left Europe with goods for African markets. These goods were traded for Africans who had been kidnapped from their tribal homelands. The Africans were then marched to the coast and transported across the Atlantic Ocean to America. They were sold or traded for raw materials, which were then transported back to Europe. This was also known as the “triangular trade. ” �

The Middle Passage �The Middle Passage refers to the middle leg of the triangular trade. Africans were captured, transported to the coast, and kept waiting in cages in large forts called factories. They were then loaded onto crowded ships for transport across the Atlantic Ocean. Many died before they even reached the coast. The duration of the voyage varied between one and six months, depending on the weather.

Reading Vocabulary �slave narrative, middle passage, primary and secondary sources. (these are already in your notes) �consternation �copious �countenance �nominal �human trafficking

Who owns the land? �Question: What entitles people to claim land as their own? Respond on paper Give reasons why one group of people should have more rights to land than another.

Who owns the Land? �For thousands of years, Native Americans regarded themselves as caretakers, not owners, of the land. �The Europeans who began arriving in North America saw things differently. �They laid claim to the land aggressively defended it from Native Americans – and from one another. �In the end, the British claim overpowered all others.