Native American Myths
 
Native American woman http://www.crystalinks.com/mancreationwomen.html

 
Origin/Creation Stories

 

Myths are the result of humankind's natural curiosity to explain that which is difficult to understand. These stories were passed down through the generations in an attempt to address issues such as the origin of the earth, humans, and animals as well as other natural phenomena such as the weather, the creation of natural landmarks, or even death.

Myths reflect the culture of the people who create them. Therefore, a careful reading of the story will teach you about the values, fears, beliefs, and practices of the tribe you are researching.

Assignment:

Choose one of the tribes/stories below and complete the following steps:

1. Use your textbook and/or the links provided to research the tribe/story you have chosen. You will be responsible for using appropriate MLA documentation format based on the notes given to you in class.

2. After reading the story and preparing a summary, you will present it to the class orally, just as the Native Americans have done for generations.

3. Prepare a brief paper that addresses the following:

A. Describe the phenomenon that is being explained.
B. Identify the repeated references in the story.
C. Identify the cultural details found in the myth.
D. Explain what these details indicate about the tribe's culture (values, fears, beliefs, practices, traditions, etc.)

Tribes/Stories:

1. Acoma ("Creation of Summer and Winter")
2. Apache origin
3. Blackfeet origin
4. Chelan origin
5. Cherokee origin
6. Cherokee ("First Fire")
7. Cherokee ("Why the Opposum's Tail is Bare")
8. Cheyenne ("Origin of thr Buffalo/Buffalo Hunt")
9. Chippewa origin
10.Choctaw ("Grandmother Spider Steals the Fire")
11.Eskimo ("Why the Stars are in the Sky")
12.Hitchiti ("Heron and the Hummingbird")
13.Hopi ("Creation")
14.Hopi ("How the Great Chiefs Made the Moon and the Sun")
15.Huron origin
16.Inuit origin
17.Inuit ("Crow Brings the Daylight")
18.Iroquois origin
19.Jicarilla Apache ("The Jicarilla Genesis")
20.Jicarilla Apache ("The Origi of Fire")
21.Lakota origin
22.Makah ("When the Animals and Birds Were Created")
23.Modoc ("When the Grizzlies Walked Upright")
24.Onondaga origin
25.Seminole origin
26.Seneca ("The Woman Who Fell From the Sky")
27.Sioux ("How the Crow Came to be Black")
28.Plains Nations ("First Mocassins")
29.Yokut ("California Creation Story")
30.Yuchi ("In the Beginning")

Grading:

Your oral presentation and paper will be graded using the rubric distributed in class.


Links:

 

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