Native American Literature
Native American Literature
PSC111335-AMERICAN NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
Kimberly St. Cin
1/28/2015
Native American Literature
1. What origin is Native American literature? (In other words, how did they present their stories/tales?)
Their stories and tales were passed from generation to generation. These stories were usually presented by speakers who were focused on their performance. They used different voices, hand gestures, movements and were very animated.
2. Why is it important to know the origins of their literature?
The origin of the literature helps you understand the stories by knowing the culture in which they are taking place. It reflects a culture as it existed before the arrival of the Europeans.
3. What might be lost in the translation of their stories?
Over time as the stories were retold over and over some of the stories may have been changed. Perhaps they may have changed with time and to adapt to new circumstances.
4. What group of people finally wrote down the stories? Why is this significant?
The Native American stories and folklore did not come into print until the 19th century, over 300 years after the arrival of the Europeans. It is important that they wrote these stories down the Indians had a very limited written language and if the Europeans had not recorded them they would have been lost in time.
5. Briefly summarize "A Tale of the Sky World." You should focus on plot.
In the beginning the world was not as we know it today, up in the sky there was another world called The Sky World where human type beings lived. In this Sky World there was a great tree which bore corn that fed the village. Well it so happened, that the chiefs daughter was very sick but there seems to be no cure in sight. One night, a friend of the Chief had a dream that if the girl was placed by the tree and the tree dug up, her sickness would be cured. The girl was placed by the tree, and the tree was dug up. Along came a man who was upset that the tree
PSC111335-AMERICAN NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
Kimberly St. Cin
1/28/2015
Native American Literature
1. What origin is Native American literature? (In other words, how did they present their stories/tales?)
Their stories and tales were passed from generation to generation. These stories were usually presented by speakers who were focused on their performance. They used different voices, hand gestures, movements and were very animated.
2. Why is it important to know the origins of their literature?
The origin of the literature helps you understand the stories by knowing the culture in which they are taking place. It reflects a culture as it existed before the arrival of the Europeans.
3. What might be lost in the translation of their stories?
Over time as the stories were retold over and over some of the stories may have been changed. Perhaps they may have changed with time and to adapt to new circumstances.
4. What group of people finally wrote down the stories? Why is this significant?
The Native American stories and folklore did not come into print until the 19th century, over 300 years after the arrival of the Europeans. It is important that they wrote these stories down the Indians had a very limited written language and if the Europeans had not recorded them they would have been lost in time.
5. Briefly summarize "A Tale of the Sky World." You should focus on plot.
In the beginning the world was not as we know it today, up in the sky there was another world called The Sky World where human type beings lived. In this Sky World there was a great tree which bore corn that fed the village. Well it so happened, that the chiefs daughter was very sick but there seems to be no cure in sight. One night, a friend of the Chief had a dream that if the girl was placed by the tree and the tree dug up, her sickness would be cured. The girl was placed by the tree, and the tree was dug up. Along came a man who was upset that the tree