In Harmony with Nature

1
In Harmony with Nature

• Native American Traditions

2
Native Americans

• 200 distinct groups 500 distinct languages
• Created the first American Literature
• Oral Tradition - Spoken words handed down from
  generation to generation in storytelling and
  performances

3
Native American Literature

• Emphasizes the importance of living in harmony
  with the natural world
• Human beings have a kinship with animals, plants,
  the land, heavenly bodies, and the elements
• The human and the nonhuman are seen as parts of a
  sacred whole
• Human beings must maintain a right relationship
  with the world around them

4
Native American Literature

• Creation myths explain how the universe, earth,
  and life began
• Hero and trickster tales show how the world
  transformed to its present state
• Ritual songs and chants are used as part of
  Native American ceremonies

5
Iroquois

• Refers to six separate Native American groups
  Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, Onodaga, Mohawk, and
  Tuscarora
• All but the Tuscarora once resided in what is now
  New York State
• War with other tribes led to the formation of the
  Iroquois League in 1570
• For 200 years, Iroquois dominated other Native
  American groups and remained free from British
  and French rule

6
The World on the Turtles Back

• Iroquois Creation Myth
• Myth Traditional story, passed down through
  generations, that explains why the world is the
  way that it is.
• Creation Myth A myth that explains how the
  universe, earth and life began

7
Creation Myths

• Explain the beginnings of the universe, life, and
  the earth
• To some extent, are imaginative stories of cause
  and effect
• Cause and Effect Relationship - One thing (the
  cause) directly brings about the other (the
  effect)

8
Sky Woman (1936) By Ernest Smith
9
The World on the Turtles Back

• Contains the idea that there is a sky world above
  our world where supernatural beings exist
• A story of cause and effect
• The actions of supernatural beings cause the
  present features of the world to exist
• Explains how the land and other physical features
  were formed

10
Sky Woman (1936) By Ernest Smith
11
The World on the Turtles Back
Theme

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

12
Vocabulary

• Void (noun) An empty space
• There was a void in my life until I met you.
• A void in the galaxy puzzled the scientists.
• The void between the towns was lonely and
  desolate.

13
Vocabulary

• Ritual (noun) A ceremonial act or a series of
  acts
• My ritual on Saturday mornings is to wake,
  shower, eat breakfast, and watch cartoons.
• The priest performed the ritual, thus ensuring
  the mans salvation.

14
Vocabulary

• Devious (noun) shifty not straightforward
• I felt devious when I tricked the child into
  giving me his candy.
• The devious man would not tell us where he came
  from.

15
Vocabulary

• Contend (verb) To compete vie
• The football team contended for the trophy.
• No one will contend with me they are too scared.

16
Vocabulary

• Succumb (verb) to give up or give in yield
• I tried to keep my hopes up, but eventually I
  succumbed to the loneliness.
• I predict that Frank will succumb to the other
  mans superior skills in the boxing match.

17
Creation Myth

• Review explains how the universe, earth, and
  life began
• Creation myths, like all myths, are essentially
  religious, presenting the cosmic views of the
  groups that create them
• Joseph Cambell - American mythology professor,
  writer, and orator best known for his work in the
  fields of comparative mythology and comparative
  religion

18
Cambells Four Functions of the Myth

• To instill a sense of awe toward the mystery of
  the universe
• To explain the workings of the natural world
• To support and validate social customs
• To guide people through the trials of living