Native American Voices Native American Oral Traditions English

Native American Voices Native American Oral Traditions English III Manning

The Sun Still Rises in the Same Sky Few people have been as appreciated and, at the same time, as misrepresented as the many different cultures today called American Indian or Native American Literature has been a living oral tradition, but was never treated with the same respect as European, or Western, literature. Most stories have a similar oral background however.

Generalizations Native American cultures use stories to teach moral lessons and convey practical information about the natural world. American Indian literature also reflects a view of the natural world that it more inclusive than the one typically seen in Western literature.

Generalizations (cont…) The Native American universe is not dominated by human beings. Animals and humans are often interchangeable in myths and folk tales. Origin myths may even feature animals as the instruments of creation.

Generalizations (cont…) All American Indian cultures also show a keen awareness of the power of metaphor. Words are as powerful and alive as the human breathe that carries them. Songs and chants can make things happen—call game animals, bring rain, cure the sick, or destroy and enemy. For Native Americans, speech, or oratory—often relying on striking similes drawn from nature—is a highly developed and respected literary form.

Oral Tradition Passed on from generation to generation, oral traditions preserve historical continuity. QUESTION: In what ways do stories help preserve the cultures from which they come?

Characteristics of Native American Oral Tradition Provide explanations about the world and its origins Teach moral lessons and convey practical information Reflect the belief that the natural world includes both human beings and animals Respect speech as a powerful literary form

Stories QUESTIONS: Let’s talk about when you were a child. What were some stories you were told or learned as a child? Now, think about how that story changed your worldview. Did it have a moral lesson? Teach you something about life? Did it teach you something about nature?

Examples The Boy Who Cried Wolf Aesop’s Fables Think of Disney movies!

Archetypes Most myths contain archetypes. An ARCHETYPE is a very old imaginative pattern that appears in literature across cultures and is repeated through the ages. Archetypes include characters, plots, images, themes, and settings.

Antonyms An ANTONYM is a word that has the opposite meaning of another word. Some examples are light/dark simple/complicated growing/dying open/closed long/short