In Harmony with NatureIn Harmony with Nature

Native American TraditionsNative American Traditions

Native AmericansNative Americans

200 distinct groups – 500 distinct 200 distinct groups – 500 distinct languageslanguages

Created the first American LiteratureCreated the first American LiteratureOral Tradition - Spoken words Oral Tradition - Spoken words

handed down from generation to handed down from generation to generation in storytelling and generation in storytelling and performancesperformances

Native American LiteratureNative American Literature

Emphasizes the importance of living in Emphasizes the importance of living in harmony with the natural worldharmony with the natural world

Human beings have a kinship with Human beings have a kinship with animals, plants, the land, heavenly animals, plants, the land, heavenly bodies, and the elementsbodies, and the elements

The human and the nonhuman are The human and the nonhuman are seen as parts of a sacred wholeseen as parts of a sacred whole

Human beings must maintain a right Human beings must maintain a right relationship with the world around relationship with the world around themthem

Native American LiteratureNative American Literature

Creation myths explain how the Creation myths explain how the universe, earth, and life beganuniverse, earth, and life began

Hero and trickster tales show how Hero and trickster tales show how the world transformed to its present the world transformed to its present statestate

Ritual songs and chants are used as Ritual songs and chants are used as part of Native American ceremoniespart of Native American ceremonies

IroquoisIroquois

Refers to six separate Native American Refers to six separate Native American groups – Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, groups – Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, Onodaga, Mohawk, and TuscaroraOnodaga, Mohawk, and Tuscarora

All but the Tuscarora once resided in what All but the Tuscarora once resided in what is now New York Stateis now New York State

War with other tribes led to the formation War with other tribes led to the formation of the “Iroquois League” in 1570of the “Iroquois League” in 1570

For 200 years, Iroquois dominated other For 200 years, Iroquois dominated other Native American groups and remained free Native American groups and remained free from British and French rulefrom British and French rule

The World on the Turtle’s The World on the Turtle’s Back Back

Iroquois Creation MythIroquois Creation MythMyth – Traditional story, passed Myth – Traditional story, passed

down through generations, that down through generations, that explains why the world is the way explains why the world is the way that it is.that it is.

Creation Myth – A myth that explains Creation Myth – A myth that explains how the universe, earth and life how the universe, earth and life beganbegan

Creation MythsCreation Myths

Explain the beginnings of the Explain the beginnings of the universe, life, and the earthuniverse, life, and the earth

To some extent, are imaginative To some extent, are imaginative stories of cause and effectstories of cause and effect

Cause and Effect Relationship - One Cause and Effect Relationship - One thing (the cause) directly brings thing (the cause) directly brings about the other (the effect)about the other (the effect)

Sky Woman (1936)

By Ernest Smith

The World on the Turtle’s The World on the Turtle’s BackBack

Contains the idea that there is a sky Contains the idea that there is a sky world above our world where world above our world where supernatural beings existsupernatural beings exist

A story of A story of cause and effectcause and effectThe actions of supernatural beings The actions of supernatural beings

causecause the present features of the world the present features of the world to existto exist

Explains Explains howhow the land and other the land and other physical features were formedphysical features were formed

Sky Woman (1936)

By Ernest Smith

The World on the Turtle’s The World on the Turtle’s BackBack

Expresses a Native American ideal of Expresses a Native American ideal of people living in harmony with naturepeople living in harmony with nature

ThemeTheme

VocabularyVocabulary

Void (noun) – An empty spaceVoid (noun) – An empty space

There was a There was a voidvoid in my life until I met you. in my life until I met you.

A A voidvoid in the galaxy puzzled the scientists. in the galaxy puzzled the scientists.

The The voidvoid between the towns was lonely between the towns was lonely and desolate.and desolate.

VocabularyVocabulary

Ritual (noun) – A ceremonial act or a Ritual (noun) – A ceremonial act or a series of actsseries of acts

My My ritualritual on Saturday mornings is to on Saturday mornings is to wake, shower, eat breakfast, and watch wake, shower, eat breakfast, and watch cartoons.cartoons.

The priest performed the The priest performed the ritualritual, thus , thus ensuring the man’s salvation.ensuring the man’s salvation.

VocabularyVocabulary

Devious (noun) – shifty; not Devious (noun) – shifty; not straightforwardstraightforward

I felt I felt deviousdevious when I tricked the child into when I tricked the child into giving me his candy.giving me his candy.

The The deviousdevious man would not tell us where man would not tell us where he came from.he came from.

VocabularyVocabulary

Contend (verb) – To compete; vieContend (verb) – To compete; vie

The football team The football team contendedcontended for the for the trophy.trophy.

No one will No one will contendcontend with me; they are with me; they are too scared.too scared.

VocabularyVocabulary

Succumb (verb) – to give up or give in; Succumb (verb) – to give up or give in; yieldyield

I tried to keep my hopes up, but eventually I tried to keep my hopes up, but eventually I I succumbedsuccumbed to the loneliness. to the loneliness.

I predict that Frank will I predict that Frank will succumbsuccumb to the to the other man’s superior skills in the boxing other man’s superior skills in the boxing match.match.

Creation MythCreation Myth

Review: explains how the universe, Review: explains how the universe, earth, and life beganearth, and life began

Creation myths, like all myths, are Creation myths, like all myths, are essentially religious, presenting the essentially religious, presenting the cosmic views of the groups that create cosmic views of the groups that create themthem

Joseph Cambell - American mythology Joseph Cambell - American mythology professor, writer, and orator best known professor, writer, and orator best known for his work in the fields of comparative for his work in the fields of comparative mythology and comparative religionmythology and comparative religion

Cambell’s Four Functions of the Cambell’s Four Functions of the MythMyth

To instill a sense of awe toward the To instill a sense of awe toward the mystery of the universemystery of the universe

To explain the workings of the natural To explain the workings of the natural worldworld

To support and validate social customsTo support and validate social customs

To guide people through the trials of To guide people through the trials of livingliving