Engelbert 2014
Grade 11
 Many of us have formed negative stereotypes of Native
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Americans based on Hollywood depictions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hJFi7SRH7Q
Who owns the land? Native Americans saw
themselves as caretakers of the land. Tribes did not
understand the European concept of land ownership.
There were more than 300 different Native American
cultures in North America and more than 200
languages.
Common Activity – storytelling
Common Theme – reverence to nature
Due to European diseases, some tribes lost as much as
90% of their people
Myths :
 The purpose of myths is to
seek to explain or
rationalize one or more
aspects of the world or a
society. Myths usually have
religious or supernatural
elements and have a
character that is immortal
Origin myth— a myth that
explains how something
began
Creation Myths :
 Many cultures around the
world have stories about
creation. Three Native
American creations myths:
 The World on Turtle’s
Back ~ Onondaga
 When Grizzlies Walked
Upright ~ Modoc
 Navajo Origin Legend ~
Navajo
 Symbolic—refer to
 Descriptions of natural processes—
larger bodies of oral water cycles, inter-species
relationships, life cycles of plants,
literature
earth movements and soil types
 Lessons—describe
how & why things  Survival accounts—hunting,
are the way they are gathering & farming stories talk about
how to collect, prepare & eat foods
 Instructions from
 Oral maps for travel—describe
spirit mentors—
historic & on-going migrations of
explain how to
conduct ceremonies tribe for subsistence & holy journeys
 Adventures in love,  Magical tales of transformation—
romance & marriage articulate the mystery & complexity of
being human
 These myths had to come from somewhere. There
were Native Americans that wrote these myths many
years before the English arrived. Most of these myths
are not believed today but many of there moral points
still relate to our society.
 Oral language The languages of Native American tribes were
never written down before the English arrived from Europe.
Their stories were passed verbally through the generations.
 The tradition of storytelling in Native American culture
serves many purposes. In most instances, these stories are
meaningless without understanding the story's significance
and purpose. Stories have been used to entertain, to teach
moral lessons, to pass on personal family stories, and to teach
tribal beliefs. Many stories were--and still are--the personal
property of families.
 Traditionally, myths were spoken or sung. This created an
attentive & respectful relationship between the storyteller &
the listeners.
 The population of the native civilizations of the
current territory of the United States fell from about
20 million to the present level of less than 2 million.
Beyond the shrinking size of the ethnic populations,
the languages have also suffered due to the prevalence
of English among those of Native American ancestry.
Most Native American languages have ceased to exist,
or are spoken only by older speakers, with whom the
language will die in the coming decades.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3N0XQe25Zc
 Only 8 indigenous languages of the area of the
continental United States currently have a population of
speakers in the U.S. and Canada large enough to
populate a medium-sized town.
 Only Navajo still has a population of greater than 25,000
within the U.S. Remaining Speakers
 During World War II, bilingual Native Americans,
mainly Navajo, transmitted messages through codes
for the United States Army.
 The codes were never broken by the enemy. The
Navajos could encode, transmit, and decode a three–
line message in 20 seconds.
 Machines used at that time to perform the same
operation took 30 minutes.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rSvm3m8ZUA
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Onodaga -- Iroquois Creation Myth
1.) What is one life lesson you can
take away from “The Earth on the
Turtle’s Back”?
2.) What is the purpose of a myth?
3.) Why have many Native
American languages disappeared
over time?
 The Onondaga (Onöñda'gega' or the People of the Hills) are one of the
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original five constituent nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. Their
traditional homeland is in central New York State.
In the American Revolutionary War, the Onondaga were at first officially
neutral. After an American attack on their main village on April 20, 1779, the
Onondaga made an alliance with theBritish. Thereafter, many Onondaga
followed Joseph Brant to Six Nations, Ontario, after the United States was
accorded independence.
On November 11, 1794, the Onondaga Nation signed the Treaty of
Canandaigua with the United States, in which their right to their homeland
was acknowledged by the United States in article II of the treaty.
Those Onondaga remaining in New York are under the government of
traditional chiefs nominated by clan mothers, rather than elected.
On March 11, 2005, the Onondaga Nation of, filed a land rights action in
federal court, seeking acknowledgment of title to over 3,000 square miles
(7,800 km2) of ancestral lands centering in Syracuse, New York. In doing so
they hope to obtain increased influence over environmental restoration
efforts at Onondaga Lake and other EPA Superfund sites in the claimed area.
 This story is a legend that was told by the Onondaga
Tribe. It displays the emphases they placed on dreams
It was most likely written before the Europeans came
to America in the late 1400’s. There is no exact time
period in which it was written.
 This legend was passed down from generation to
generation.
 Today more than 25 versions of this story exist
 Origin myth which describe the creation of the earth.
Shows that weaker and smaller animals can
accomplish things that larger and stronger animals
have failed to complete teaches that you have
determination nothing will stand in your way.
 Sometimes it is good to be curious. If no one was ever
curious than we would not have the newer, better
things in the world today.
 Imagery—images formed in reader’s mind relating to
story example: tree, water world, turtle
 Repetition—repeating something over and over
example, when the Muskrat was swimming, the author
repeated the idea of swimming deeper to show how
much determination the Muskrat had
 Twins play a central role in many Native American
myths
 Transformation of a character to explain a natural
phenomena
 In this myth, the "earth" refers to the land (the North
American continent) rather than to the planet.
 This myth has been abridged, meaning that it has been
shortened & parts of the story left out. The descendants of
the ancient chief & his wife will create humans later in a part
of the story that is not included in our textbook.
 Native American myths often include two-dimensional
characters--characters whose names, personalities, and
motivations are generic rather than fully defined. For
example, the ancient chief has a generic name rather than a
specific one, & there is little information given about his
thoughts or personality. A three-dimensional character will
have doubts, a specific name, & internal conflicts.
 Many Native American tribes referred to North America as
"Turtle Island” due to a belief in this or a similar creation
myth.
 According to this myth, what existed before the earth?
 What part does nature and the natural world play in this
creation? (i.e. What natural elements appear in this story,
and what do they do?)
 Why are the twins in conflict even before their birth?
 How do the twins create balance in the world?
 Analyze a Creation Myth Complete the chart listing three
differences between the right-handed twin and the lefthanded twin.
Right-Handed Twin
Left-Handed Twin
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5V05OOcFCc
 What is the relationship between place and literature?
 What makes American literature American?
 -America was already populated by several hundred
native American tribes
 -12,000 years before Christopher Columbus, nomadic
people had migrate across the Bering Land Bridge
from Asia and come to settle in the Americas.
 Europeans explorers, fortune seekers, missionaries,
and those fleeing religious persecution along with
enslaved African Americans settled along the Eastern
seaboard all the way to New Mexico.
 By 1776, 13 colonies declared independence from
England.
CORN
Sleds
Woodcrafts
and Weapons
Snowshoes
 List three major animal characters in this myth. Beside
each animal, write an adjective that would
appropriately describe this character's traits. (You
should answer this item as a list rather than as a
complete sentence.)
 From this myth what do we learn about the Iroquois’
(a) attitude toward nature, (b) view of their gods, (c)
important food, games and rituals (d) beliefs about
good and evil?
Retold by Mourning Dove of the Salish People
 Lands were the Pacific Northwest in Washington State
 Part of the First Nations in Canada
 Lands encroached on as settlers panned for gold and
looked for land to farm
 Many of the tribe now live on the Colville Indian
Reservation
 Trickster Tale – many times are contradictory as both a
creator of order out of chaos and a destroyer of order
which represses creative energies
 Mythic – explains how something came to be
 What are the consequences of Coyote’s disregarding Buffalo
Bull’s warning?
 Does Coyote get what he deserves at the end of the story?
Why or why not?
 Trickster tales endure, in part, simply because they are fun
to read. But they also often serve to teach a lesson or moral.
What does “Coyote and the Buffalo” teach or explain?
Support your answer with evidence from the text.
 This trickster tale gives clues about a society’s way of life.
Name three things that were important in the Okanogan
culture.
Elements of a Trickster Tale
Involves Deceit
Includes Violence
Uses Magic
Explains an Aspect of Human Nature
Main Character Displays Contradictory
Qualities
Examples
Modoc
 The Modoc tribe is a group of Native American people
who originally lived in the area which is now
northeastern California and central Oregon. They are
currently divided between Oregon and Oklahoma.
 Modoc County, California and Modoc, Indiana are
named for this group of people.
 Time period—Before the Europeans came to American
in the late 1400’s by the Modoc tribe Origin myth
explaining “The Sky Spirit” creates the earth, and the
creation of the Native Americans. Time period and
literary style
 Explains the creation of Mount Shasta and the land
and animals nearby. Tells how the daughter of the Sky
Spirit marries a bear and their children become the
first Native Americans. The Native Americans living
around the mountain would never kill a grizzly bear
because of this story.
 This myth teaches us that when you disobey someone,
such as your parents, you can get other people
punished for your mistake.
 The Sky Spirit had cursed the grizzlies by saying, “Get
down on your hands and knees. You have wronged me,
and from this moment all of you will walk on four feet
and never talk again.” The Sky Spirit Chief behaved
like a human when he used anger to punish the
grizzlies.
 According to this myth ("When Grizzlies Walked
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Upright"), does the Chief of the Sky Spirits discover or
create the earth? Explain your answer.
Explain why the original audience might have
considered Mount Shasta to be sacred after hearing
this story.
What does the Sky Spirit tell his daughter not to do
and why does she disobey him?
What did the grizzlies do to be cursed? Was this a
justified punishment? Explain your answer.
Why would the audience feel more respect for the
grizzlies after hearing this story?
 Navajo woman with her children The time period of
the story was when the Native Americans lived before
the English people came to America. The Navajo told
the myths verbally, passing them from generation to
generation.
 The author used symbolism in the literature. The corn
was placed facing east and west, relating to the passage
of the sun The man and woman were created from the
corn and the buckskin.
 The corn & deer are basic foods which provide life for the
Navajo.
 The four gods represent the four directions of the wind
which gave life to the humans.
 The purpose of the story is to examine how the Navajo
people believed the human race was created The Navajo
people believed these stories were true. It is a origin
myth telling how marriage began. Author's purpose
 What purpose does the cornmeal serve in this myth
("The Navajo Origin Myth")?
 What might be the speaker's purpose in telling this
story? Explain your answer.
 Why is the wind considered to be sacred and
important to the continuation of life?
 Six separate tribes – Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida,
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Onondaga, Mohawk, and Tuscarora
Fighting between the tribes put them at risk of attack
by the Algonquin tribes
The tribes formed the Iroquois League to negotiate
with foreign nations and resolve conflict among the
tribes.
The tribes have a shared culture and similar language
Today the tribes fight for environmental protection
and increased recognition from the US and other
governments
 "The Iroquois Constitution" was first thought to have
been written in the 1500's, but a newer theory believes
it to be between 1090 and 1150 A.D. Five Nations that
formed the Iroquois Confederation included the
Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca
tribes. Time Period
 The author uses imagery to help the reader picture
what the author is describing. “Tree of the Great
Peace” can be picture in your head. The author also
uses symbolism. The tree symbolism the Iroquois
Confederate The roots of that tree symbolized peace
and strength. Imagery & Symbolism
 The Iroquois Constitution set forth a series of laws,
forming a government that any could join if they
wished to obey the laws. At the beginning of counsel
meetings, the Iroquois gave thanks to the Creator for
the natural world. Government
 Explain the comparison between the agreement made
in this document ("The Iroquois Constitution") and
the "Tree of Peace".
 This document mentions several agreements made
among the people. List the three most important
agreements in paragraphs four through seven and
explain why they are important.
 Explain what characteristics a council Lord must have.
 What values does this document advocate (to argue in
favor of something)?
 Respond: The Modoc chose grizzly bears, and the Navajo
chose corn to represent the sources of their human
existence. What symbol would you choose for twenty-first
century America? Why?
 (a) Recall: In "The Earth on Turtle's Back," what does the
chief's wife do to get life started on Earth? (b) Draw
Conclusions: Based on the conclusion of the myth, how
do you think the Onondaga view women in their culture?
 (a) Recall: According to the Navajo myth, what do the
lines on our fingertips reveal? (b) Interpret: In what way
does this explanation link the everyday world with the
mythological world?
 (a) Recall: According to the Iroquois, what is the Great
Law? (b) Hypothesize: In what way might the Great Law
affect not only the living Iroquois but also their future
descendants?
 List those who share in the process of bringing about
human life on Earth in (a) "When Grizzlies Walked
Upright," (b) "The Earth on Turtle's Back," and (c) The
Navajo Origin Legend.
 Each of these origin myths focuses on explaining
different aspects of human origins or on varying
natural phenomena. What can you conclude about the
lives and interests of each culture from the focal points
in each myth?
 Why do you think literature of an oral tradition
might include repeated words or phrases?
 Literature of the oral tradition was often performed in
dramatic formats at group gatherings. How do the
structure, language, and content of the myths lend
themselves to dramatic presentation?
 What cultural details concerning Modoc family
structure does the grizzly bear community suggest in
"When Grizzlies Walked Upright"?
 Use cultural details from The Iroquois Constitution to
determine the qualities that the Iroquois believe a lord
should possess.
 Interview a classmate about his or her heritage. Ask
about:
 A family tradition
 An important belief or value
 A story about his or her family’s roots
 How has his or her heritage affected his or her identity