190 likes | 660 Views
Native Americans. Do Now. Make a list of everything you know about Native Americans. Culture Beliefs Relationships Living situations Morals and values Technology Stereotypes. Native Americans. Pocahontas. Trailer for 1995 Disney movie:. https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v= 9q1QF8G47oU.
E N D
Do Now • Make a list of everything you know about Native Americans. • Culture • Beliefs • Relationships • Living situations • Morals and values • Technology • Stereotypes
Pocahontas Trailer for 1995 Disney movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q1QF8G47oU
Pocahontas http://www.powhatan.org/pocc.html
North America • Civilizations before Columbus • 10 million people • 350 languages • Many different societies, religions, governments, etc. • Cahokia • City in 1100 CE (400 years before Columbus) • Population of 20,000 (same as London) • Didn’t understand European concept of owning land
Influences on U.S. • Universal suffrage for both sexes • Federalism • Leaders as “servants of the people” instead of masters • Insistence that the community must respect the diversity of men (“All men are created equal.”) • Iroquois Constitution model for Articles of Confederation
Today • 562 federally recognized tribes • 4,500,000 U.S. citizens identify as Native American • 93% of students attend regular public schools; 7% attend Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) schools • Make up 1% of total U.S. population, but 50% of the nations languages and cultures • Many of these exist nowhere else on the planet • Graduation rate for American Indian high school students was 49.3% during 2003-2004 school year
What is a myth? • A traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events
Myths • Origin myths – explanation for how earth was created, how life began • Most Native American myths include animals • Iroquois creation myth • World created on the back of a sea turtle • Literature reflects the culture that produces it • Pay attention to details to get cultural insight
Myths • Passed down orally through families, during ceremonies • Unknown origin • Only written down recently • Important part of spiritual beliefs • Totems • In many tribes, each group, clan, or family would be said to descend from an animal or natural object. • Responsible for maintaining that animal’s myth • Characteristics of animals often attributed to people
Myths • Types: • Creation myth • Origin myth • Heroic journey myth • Trickster myth
Trickster myths • Important part of Native American mythology • Animal with two sides to personality • Create trouble and chaos, reveal wisdom • Coyote or raven • Characteristics • Magic • Trickery • Violence/sexuality • Purpose • To explain the origins of some aspect of the natural world and/or teach a lesson