Sittie Ainah M. Sultan Bsed-Eng 22 Written Report: American Literature Topic: Native American Oral Literature

Sittie Ainah M.
Sultan BSED-Eng 22
Written report: American Literature
Topic: Native American Oral literature

Native American oral literature:
Native American literature, also called Indian literature or American Indian literature, the
traditional oral and written literatures of the indigenous peoples of the Americas.
Types of oral literature:
1. Story telling:
 Storytelling is the most famous and most often studied form of Native oral
tradition.
The traditional Native stories are based on honoring all life. This especially includes the
plants and animals we depend on, as well as their human ancestors.
 Each time a story was told, it varied only within the limits of the tradition
established for that plot and according to the cultural background of the
narrator and the listeners.
 One adaptation frequently used by the storyteller was the repetition of
incidents.
2. Legend: Stories are possessed with such power that they have survived for
generations despite attempts at repression and assimilation.
Example: Legends of the Cherokee
Far in the sky to the west lived the god of thunder, Great Thunder, and his sons,
the Thunder Boys. They caused lighting and thunder to rain down on the earth, but they
also brought rain for the crops and the rainbow. The medicine men of the tribes prayed
that the Thunders would bring soft rains for their crops and not harm the people of the
tribe with their lightning.
Myth: traditional story, rooted in a particular culture, that deals with gods, goddesses,
and other supernatural beings, as well as human heroes; often embody religious beliefs
and values and explain natural phenomena.
Example: Creation Myth (Powhatan)
There were five main gods in the world. The leader of the gods was the Great
Hare. The other four gods were the winds from each corner of the earth.
One day the Great Hare created people. He made several people and animals. He
wasn't sure what to do with them, so he put them into a large bag. He wanted to make a
place for them to live, so he made the forests, rivers, and lakes. He created deer to live
in the forests.
The other four gods, however, weren't happy with what the Great Hare had made. They
went into the forests and killed the deer. When the Great Hare found the dead deer, he
was saddened. He tossed the skins of the deer throughout the forest and many more
deer sprang to life. He then let the people out of the bag and spread them around the
forest to live together with the deer.
The Trickster Tale: In Trickster more than twenty Native American tales are cleverly
adapted into comic form. Each story is written by a different Native American storyteller
who worked closely with a selected illustrator, a combination that gives each tale a
unique and powerful voice and look.
Example: Coyote and the Sky: How the Sun, Moon, and Stars Began by
Emmett Garcia
According to Santa Ana Pueblo legend, the animals' spirit Leader created the sun,
moon, and stars by using woven yucca mats and hot coals. He selected certain animals
to climb from their homes in the Third World up to the Fourth World, but Coyote was
forbidden to accompany them because he was always causing trouble and stealing food
from the others. Regardless of what he was told, Coyote refused to stay in the Third
World. Coyote's punishment is a lesson in what happens to animals, or people, when
they refuse to obey instructions.
Native American Traditional Poems:

 Oral tradition is important to Native American literature, art, and culture.
Oral tradition is the legacy of passing down cultural stories from the older generation to
the younger generation through speech.
 This tradition continues in some of their poetry, which can sometimes be
understood as prayer.
Example: The ''Sacred Warrior'' is one traditional poem.
It begins with the following lines:
Life offers us the opportunity to become a sacred Warrior.
A warrior is one who bravely goes into those dark areas within
themselves to ferret out the Truth of their being.
It takes great courage, stamina, and endurance to
become a sacred Warrior.
These lines offer insight into what may happen to someone seeking to become a
''sacred warrior.'' The poem tells of the journey of this warrior, who struggles through the
untamed terrain. There are physical hardships on the way, which challenge the warrior.
Through grit and determination, the sacred warrior overcomes these challenges to
finally meet their battle. This too is overcome, granting the warrior serenity.
The unknown author uses images of the landscape and nature to connect to the
struggles of life. This poem becomes a guidebook for how to successfully progress
through life to attain one's goals.
References:
 https://research.dom.edu/NativeAmericanStudies/myth#:~:text=Native
%20American%20Oral%20Traditions,information%20must%20be
%20remembered%20accurately
 https://allgoodtales.com/storytelling-traditions-across-the-world-native-
american/
 https://nativeede.wixsite.com/wingedmessenger/oral-tradition-in-native-
america#:~:text=Although%20storytelling%20may%20immediately
%20come,development%20of%20rituals%20and%20ceremonies.
 https://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/zuni/bunzel/zrp.htm

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Written report: American Literature

Topic: Native American Oral literature

Native American Traditional Poems:

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