In Harmony with Nature
The first American literature was created by the first people to live in North America, the Native Americans
Inhabited the land thousands of years before the first Europeans
Didn’t consider the land to be a single nation Belonged to more than 300300 distinct groups Spoke more than 200200 languages Lived a life connected with nature Had complex religious beliefs, sophisticated
political systems, and strong social values
Native American literature was oral Passed down from generation to generation in the form of
storytelling and performances Pictographs, knotted strings, and coded wampum belts aided
in memorization
All stories and songs were attributed to the Great Mystery
The Great Mystery gave the words to the singer or storyteller Words possessed magic and power
Could help the hunter capture game, influence the crops to grow, etc.
Native Americans also believed the living could communicate with inanimate objects
Example: People could assume the form of animals and vice versa
There is an emphasis in Native American lit. on the importance of living in harmony with nature
They believed humans had a kinship with animals, plants, the land, the heavenly bodies, and the elements
They believed human beings did not have control over nature and was actually a part of nature that needed to maintain a proper relationship with the surroundings
Types of Native American LitMyth
A traditional story, religious in nature, that explains a belief, ritual, or natural phenomenon
Most myths contain archetypes Archetype – a pattern that
appears in literature across cultures and is repeated throughout the ages
Can be a character, a plot, an image, a theme, or setting
Creation myths Explain the beginning of the
world
Types of Native American Lit• Ritual Songs and
Chants • Performed as part
of ceremonies• Hunting songs,
love songs, spiritual songs, etc.
• Helped N.A. communicate with the Great Mystery
Types of Native American Lit Tales of Heroes and
Tricksters – tell of people who transformed the world into its present stateAnimals act like humans Include magical
transformationsExplain natural
phenomena
The hero of a trickster tale can play several rolesCultural heroClever deceiverNumbskull
The stories/works in our text are different from their original form
They have been translated into English
They would have been performed, not read
They still, however, expose the reader to the beauty, wisdom, and humor of the literature
Native Americans and their traditions have not disappeared from this country
Some cultures were lost due to disease and violence or European invasions
Others did survive and change Forced religious conversions Forced relocation Forced education
They still keep oral traditions alive by singing songs and telling stories
Most of the new generation of writers deal with the problems of harmonizing the old and the new
Reconciling old traditions w/ the new practices Mixing together mythology, oral history, & personal
reflections