Beginnings Beginnings to 1750to 1750

Native AmericansNative Americans

First Native Americans First Native Americans migrated from migrated from Asia across the Bering Strait 35,000 Asia across the Bering Strait 35,000 years ago.years ago.

They migrated They migrated all over North and all over North and South America, South America, forming hundreds of forming hundreds of tribes.tribes.

Food and Entertainment Food and Entertainment

Native Americans Native Americans introduce corn, introduce corn, squash, beans, and certain fish to the squash, beans, and certain fish to the settlers.settlers.

Cattle and pigs are brought from Cattle and pigs are brought from EuropeEurope..

Native Americans played slight-of-Native Americans played slight-of-hand games, dice games, lacrosse, hand games, dice games, lacrosse, and hoop-and-spear.and hoop-and-spear.

ValuesValues

Bonds of kinshipBonds of kinship, or strong ties , or strong ties among family members, among family members, ensured a ensured a continuation of tribal customscontinuation of tribal customs. .

Elders instructed the young and in Elders instructed the young and in return the young honored the elders return the young honored the elders and their departed ancestors. and their departed ancestors.

ValuesValues

They believed that They believed that land was a source land was a source of life not a commodity to be sold. of life not a commodity to be sold.

How is this an example of valuing the How is this an example of valuing the tribe over self?tribe over self?

More on the Native AmericansMore on the Native Americans

Some beliefs: Some beliefs: – All parts of nature are made up of All parts of nature are made up of

animalsanimals– Everything is sacred, spiritual, and Everything is sacred, spiritual, and

has lifehas life– PolytheisticPolytheistic…many gods as seen in …many gods as seen in

mythsmyths– Prominent roles for womenProminent roles for women

Historical BackgroundHistorical Background

Christopher Columbus reached Christopher Columbus reached North America in 1492North America in 1492

Found the area inhabited by Found the area inhabited by Native American tribesNative American tribes

Once explorers and settlers decided to stay Once explorers and settlers decided to stay and start building the natives could do and start building the natives could do nothing although they usually tried to fight nothing although they usually tried to fight back. back.

Natives had a completely different set of Natives had a completely different set of values and traditions:values and traditions:

- some wouldn’t fight back until they - some wouldn’t fight back until they realized they would lose their land realized they would lose their land completelycompletely

- they lived off the land and held it in high - they lived off the land and held it in high regard; earth was the motherregard; earth was the mother

- they never used more than they needed - they never used more than they needed and they never wasted anythingand they never wasted anything

The settlers’ flagrant ways and intruding The settlers’ flagrant ways and intruding methods of desecrating the land came as methods of desecrating the land came as a huge blow to the Native Americans. a huge blow to the Native Americans.

The Europeans also brought disease that The Europeans also brought disease that natives were never exposed to before, natives were never exposed to before, which brought actual physical desecration which brought actual physical desecration to their people. to their people.

Over time (hundreds of years) land was Over time (hundreds of years) land was progressively taken away from them and progressively taken away from them and they were not only robbed of their sacred they were not only robbed of their sacred land and the traditions it embodied for land and the traditions it embodied for them, but they were forced into them, but they were forced into assimilating into the emerging European-assimilating into the emerging European-American culture. American culture.

Native American LiteratureNative American Literature

Oral tradition of song and stories. Oral tradition of song and stories. Focuses on the natural world and the sacred world and the Focuses on the natural world and the sacred world and the

importance of landimportance of land. . Contains Magical and mystical elementsContains Magical and mystical elements Types: Types:

– Creation/Origin stories: explain where people and things come Creation/Origin stories: explain where people and things come from, why they existfrom, why they exist

– Historical narratives: passed down the history of their people and Historical narratives: passed down the history of their people and traditionstraditions

– Trickster tales: used to teach lessonsTrickster tales: used to teach lessons

The Native American Oral The Native American Oral TraditionTradition

Oral literature – stories passed down from one Oral literature – stories passed down from one generation to the next as they were told and generation to the next as they were told and retold in the privacy of households and in tribal retold in the privacy of households and in tribal ceremonies.ceremonies.

Animals play an important role in Native Animals play an important role in Native American myths.American myths.– Totem – animal or object to which a clan is “connected”; Totem – animal or object to which a clan is “connected”;

revered by that clanrevered by that clan– Trickster – animal characters with 2 sides to their Trickster – animal characters with 2 sides to their

personalities; rebels who often created chaos; curious, personalities; rebels who often created chaos; curious, clever, creative; may exhibit wisdom (coyote, raven, clever, creative; may exhibit wisdom (coyote, raven, mink)mink)

Creation StoriesCreation Stories Similar to the account in The BibleSimilar to the account in The Bible Similar from tribe to tribeSimilar from tribe to tribe Used to explain how the world/universe was createdUsed to explain how the world/universe was created Explained the origin of manExplained the origin of man Explain the duty of humanity to maintain a balance Explain the duty of humanity to maintain a balance

with the natural world with the natural world Sometimes had animal characteristicsSometimes had animal characteristics Sometimes non-gender, or only one gender (usually Sometimes non-gender, or only one gender (usually

female—mother earth)female—mother earth) Contained what the tribe generally believed the Contained what the tribe generally believed the

relationships between people and naturerelationships between people and nature Contained origins of tribal customs and structuresContained origins of tribal customs and structures

Creation occurs primarily in one of five ways:Creation occurs primarily in one of five ways:

– From chaos or nothingnessFrom chaos or nothingness– From a cosmic egg or primal maternal moundFrom a cosmic egg or primal maternal mound– From world parents who are separatedFrom world parents who are separated– From the process of earth divingFrom the process of earth diving– From several stages of emergence from other From several stages of emergence from other

worlds, or states of beingworlds, or states of being

In every case, there is a sense of In every case, there is a sense of birth—both of the world and humansbirth—both of the world and humans

Creation Stories CharacteristicsCreation Stories Characteristics

Characteristics include:Characteristics include:– A CreatorA Creator, and the medium for creation, such , and the medium for creation, such

as clay, fluids, and a supernatural poweras clay, fluids, and a supernatural power– The tricksterThe trickster, sometimes a negative force, , sometimes a negative force,

sometimes a cultural hero who dives to the sometimes a cultural hero who dives to the depths of nothingness to find formdepths of nothingness to find form

– The first man and woman The first man and woman whose job it is to whose job it is to continue to create both offspring, and plants continue to create both offspring, and plants and animalsand animals

– The flood hero The flood hero who saves mankind from the who saves mankind from the great waters and begins againgreat waters and begins again

Some Dominant Themes & Motifs:Some Dominant Themes & Motifs: relationships between humans and relationships between humans and

animalsanimals respect and reverence for mother earth respect and reverence for mother earth

and natureand nature land as the strength of the peopleland as the strength of the people village/community/tribe as sovereignvillage/community/tribe as sovereign cyclical patterns: renewal and cyclical patterns: renewal and

continuancecontinuance importance of tribal traditions and historyimportance of tribal traditions and history

Literary TermsLiterary Terms AllusionAllusion:: reference to someone or reference to someone or

something that is known from history, something that is known from history, literature, religion, sports, etc.literature, religion, sports, etc.

MythMyth: traditional stories passed down from : traditional stories passed down from generation to generationgeneration to generation

AlliterationAlliteration: Repetition of the initial : Repetition of the initial consonant soundconsonant sound

SimileSimile: extended metaphor using “like” or : extended metaphor using “like” or “as”“as”

AnecdoteAnecdote: short story that teaches a : short story that teaches a meaningmeaning