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 Turtle’s 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 Turtle’s 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 Turtle’s Back • Expresses a Native American ideal of people living in harmony with nature Theme

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 man’s 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 man’s 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. Cambell’s 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