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The Sun Still Rises in the Same Sky: Native American Literature. Important points from the article by Joseph Bruchac (20-21). Oral Tradition.
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The Sun Still Rises in the Same Sky: Native American Literature Important points from the article by Joseph Bruchac (20-21).
Oral Tradition Native American Literature was originally created and maintained through oral tradition, a practice of spreading the literature from generation to generation by word of mouth.
Native American Culture • Native Americans use stories to teach moral lessons and convey practical information about the natural world. • The following is a clip from Disney’s “Brother Bear” illustrating Native American oral tradition: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFiJo9_U414
Native American Literature… • Reflects a view of the natural world that is more inclusive than Western Literature. • What does inclusive mean? • What does this reveal about Native American Literature? • Move on to the next slide, and you will find out…
Native American Literature… • “Inclusive” means including a great deal or a broad spectrum of information, people, items, etc. • Native American Literature includes animals, people, and nature. • Animals and people are often interchangeable in myths and folk tales.
The Power of the Metaphor • American Indian cultures show a “keen awareness of the power of the metaphor” (21). • Words are as powerful and alive as humans. • Songs and chants can make things happen (i.e. the “rain dance”) • Similes and metaphors are drawn from nature and are highly developed.
Current Impact • Oral traditions “preserve historical continuity” (21). • However, the Native American culture is ever-changing and adaptive to the ever-changing world. • Their beliefs and values, however, have been preserved over centuries.
Works Cited • Bruchac, Joseph. “The Sun Still Rises in the Same Sky: Native American Literature.” Elements of Literature: Fifth Course. Eds. Kathleen Daniel, Richard Sime, Thomas F. Hirsch, and Patricia Cambridge. Austin: Holt, Reinhart and Winston, 2003. 20-21. Print.