Native American Origin Myths

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Native American Origin Myths
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Beginnings- 1750

• Historical Background
• By 1492 North America was populated with several
  hundred tribes of Native Americans.
• In North America 30x longer than Europeans
• Widely dispersed across North America
• A variety of languages, governments, social
  organizations, customs, religions, diets,
  housing, and methods of survival

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The Onondaga

• From modern day New York area
• One of the 5 original members of the Iroquois
  Confederation
• Lived in villages of wood and bark longhouses
• Peaceful people
• Known for lacrosse- a game played with a
  hand-held basket and a ball
• Currently Onondaga still live in the area on a
  reservation

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Modoc

• Lived in villages in Oregon and Northern
  California
• Hunted, farmed, and fished
• Known for skilled weaving
• Warrior culture
• When forced onto a reservation by US government,
  a band rebelled under a sub-chief known as
  Captain Jack

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Navajo

• Lived in the southwest
• Fierce warriors and hunters
• Intermarried with the peaceful Pueblo who taught
  them to weave and farm
• Today the Navajo nation is the largest Native
  American nation in the US with over 100,000
  members
• Currently live on Navajo reservation across
  Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico
• Known for valuable contribution as code talkers
  in WWII

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Iroquois

• Powerful nation
• An alliance of Iroquoian speaking tribes
• Mohawk
• Oneida
• Seneca
• Cayuga
• Onondaga
• Had a developed democratic government with
  elected leaders
• Iroquois tribes still exist today

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Oral Tradition

• The stories that are passed down from generation
  to generation in a culture without written
  language.
• Stories and songs capture a cultures
• ideals
• values
• concerns
• history
• fears

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Origin Myths

• Stories that meet the needs of a culture to
  explain
• The origin or beginning of elements of the
  natural world
• Humans and animals
• Tribes
• The Earth
• Oceans
• Mountains

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Origin Myths

• Customs, institutions, or religious rites
• Marriage ceremonies
• Religious/spiritual practices
• Coming of age ceremonies

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Origin Myths

• Events beyond human control
• Weather
• Natural disasters
• Tornadoes
• Volcanoes
• Earthquakes
• The Ocean
• Birth and death

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Origin Myths

• Origin myths often teach a moral lesson
• Obey your parents
• Dont go out in the dark by yourself
• Keep trying and dont give up

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Cultural Details

• Origin myths include details that identify the
  cultures values and way of life
• The importance of dreams as a message
• Marriage customs
• Method of survival
• Farming
• Hunting
• Environmental influences
• Valuable animals
• Natural resources (mountains, ocean, plants)