Michellehrusso.weebly.com



The Native Americans (p. 10)Europeans arrived in the Western Hemisphere in the late 1400s claiming that they had discovered a new world; however, the continent of North America was already inhabited by hundreds of Native Americans. Many of their ancestors had come there from Asia by crossing the Bering Strait, a land bridge that connected Asia to Alaska. These descendants spread throughout the land, adapting to the areas they settled in; as a result, these inhabitants were not all alike. While some settled in Mexico and Central America and created complex societies, others remained in what is now known as the United States. Here, these Native Americans hunted buffalo, lived simply in portable dwellings, and passed on their knowledge through oral tradition.The Sacred Earth and the Power of Storytelling (pp. 12-13)Native Americans believed that the entire earth and all of the living things that inhabited it were sacred, and they cared deeply about the natural world. This respect was handed down throughout generations orally. As a result, speakers and storytellers were valued members of Native American communities.The Native Americans’ attitude toward the earth and all its creations formed their religious beliefs. They believed that all living things, as well as all forces of nature, were part of a great cycle of life that must be respected, and all of their religious ceremonies revolved around the events of this natural cycle. They also saw spiritual value in the natural world, and they contacted these spirits through their dreams and visions. These people’s view of the sacredness of the natural world is evident in their tales and songs.Since the Native Americans believed that the natural world was sacred, they felt that no one should own land; instead, land should belong to all living things that inhabited it. As a result of this belief, they conflicted with the early European settlers who insisted on owning their own land. This disagreement often led to the Native Americans signing treaties with the white settlers that they didn’t understand which resulted in open land for white settlement.Native American stories have been passed down orally for thousands of years, were often a mix of myth and reality, and were thought to link the spirits of hunters and animals.European Contact (p. 10)In the early 1400s, Europeans decided to start exploring the rest of the world due to a growth in trade between Europe and Asia and advances in navigation and shipbuilding. Once Christopher Columbus reached the Americas, cultural contact between Europe and the Western Hemisphere began. What resulted from this contact affected the history of the world, for this European exploration, conquest and settlement led to the founding of many new nations. However, this caused great tragedy for the Native Americans, as the Europeans fought them for their land and brought diseases that killed many of them.A Collision of Cultures (p. 14)As European explorers set off for this New World, they kept reports of the hardships they encountered on their journeys. Once Europeans began creating settlements, conflicts started to develop between them and the American Indians, which led to war. However, the Europeans were able to overcome the Native Americans due to their superior weapons. This combined with the rapid spread of illness among the Native Americans by diseases brought by the Europeans caused few Native Americans to survive past the end of the 1600s. Terms Important to Native American Mythology (pp. 20-21)Oral Literature: stories that were passed down from one generation to the next as they were told and retold in households and in tribal ceremoniesMyth: an anonymous traditional story that relies on the supernatural to explain a natural phenomenon, an aspect of human behavior, or a mystery of the universeCreation Myth: tells how the world and human beings came to existOrigin Myth: explains how natural phenomena came to be or why a society has certain beliefs and customsArchetype: a symbol, story pattern, or character type that is found in literature of many culturesSee other notes in POWERPOINT PDF Traditional ArchetypesIn modern times, researchers have been able to collect and compare the myths, legends, and religions of cultures from around the world. They have been fascinated to discover that for centuries, people who had no contact with each other at all had passed down stories whose characters and events were strikingly similar. Many great thinkers have tried to explain this phenomenon. Noted psychoanalyst Carl Jung introduced a theory that humans have a collective unconscious, which means that there is a store of information that we, as humans, somehow hold. This collection of information includes archetypes, or symbolic figures. Archetypes influence the way we think and behave, as people follow the same patterns throughout time and around the world.?Archetypal Character Description Examples The HeroA larger-than-life character that often goes on some kind of journey or quest. In the course of his journey, the hero demonstrates the qualities and abilities valued by his culture.King Arthur, Odysseus, Luke Skywalker, FrodoThe Father FigureThe protector and leaderMufasa from The Lion King The Mother FigureThe protective nurturer and gentle providerMa Joad in The Grapes of Wrath The Fatal Woman or TemptressA woman who uses her power (intellect, magic, or most of all, beauty) to make men, especially the Hero, weakCirce and the Sirens in The Odyssey, Lady Macbeth, Morgan le FeyThe WitchA woman, often a hag (though she may be disguised as a beautiful young woman), who attempts to trap and destroy the protagonistThe Wicked Stepmother in fairy talesMonster/VillainThe antagonist, especially in opposition to the hero.The Big Bad Wolf from Little Red Riding Hood, The Giant in Jack and the BeanstalkThe InnocentAn inexperienced male or female character that is exposed to the evils in the worldDorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Little Red Riding HoodThe Alter Ego or DoubleReveals the dual nature of manDr. Jekyll and Mr. HydeHelpers ??????????????????????????????????????????????????~ Wise Old Woman or Man ???????????????~ Wise Animal Characters that assist or guide the protagonistMerlin, Yoda and Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, Grandmother Willow in Pocahontas The Trickster/The FoolCharacters who trick others to get them to do what s/he wants – they can be both virtuous and nefarious.????? ??? Puss-in-Boots, Road Runner, Fred & George Weasley???????? ?The UnderdogCharacters who are always in the wrong place at the wrong time, but who usually win something of value in the end.???? ?The Ugly Duckling, The Frog Prince, Neville Longbottom??? ????? “THE SKY TREE”ABOUT THE AUTHOR/ BUILDING BACKGROUND“The Sky Tree” is a creation myth of the Huron tribe who lived northeast of the Great Lakes. This myth is an example of an earth-diver myth because it involves a living being diving down into the water to retrieve mud that will be spread onto the back of the Great Turtle. This mud will eventually grow around the back to form Earth.LITERARY ELEMENTSOral TraditionMythREAD & RESPOND TO THE TEXTQuestioning (p. 35)Why is the old chief’s dream important to the story?The old chief’s dream inspires the actions that led to Earth’s creation. If the old chief hadn’t told his dream, his wife may have never cut down the Sky Tree.Big Idea (p. 35)How is the Native American attitude toward the natural world reflected through the action of the water animals who dive down and bring up soil to place on Turtle’s back? The Native Americans’ attitude toward the natural world is reflected when animals are given the responsibility for creating the world, thus becoming worthy of respect.Drawing Conclusions (p. 35)Based on the actions of the wife and the fact that she has been given a vital role in the myth, what do you conclude about the Huron’s beliefs about the role of husbands and wives?Based on the wife’s actions in the story and the fact that she plays an important role, it is evident that the Huron respect and therefore pay tribute to a devoted wife.READ & RESPOND TO THE TEXTWhat is the Sky Tree, and why is it important to the people in Sky Land?The Sky Tree is a great tree in the middle of Sky Land that serves as the source for food.Why does Aataentsic cut down the tree, and what does that action reveal about her relationship with her husband?She cuts the tree down in an attempt to save her husband’s life, thus showing that she would do anything to save his life, even destroy the source of all food.Which animal observes Aataentsic’s fall? What role does this animal assume?The Turtle observes her fall; he assumes the role of leader of the animals.ANALYZE & EVALUATEWhat is the function of the old chief’s dream in this myth? His dream serves as the prompt for Aataentsic to cut down the Sky Tree.What does this myth suggest about the importance that Native Americans attribute to knowledge gained from dreams?Since Aataentsic acts on her husband’s dream, it is obvious that Native Americans value knowledge from dreams.What motivates Aataentsic to follow the Sky Tree into the hole? How do you view her actions? She follows the Sky Tree into the hole because she is trying to protect life. This shows her heroism because she risks harm to protect all of life.Why do you think the Huron preserved and perpetuated this piece of oral literature?The Huron may have wanted to preserve their religious beliefs, celebrate their ancestor Aataentsic, or offer an example of unselfish devotion and courage.How might this myth have been used by the Huron to teach a moral lesson?The Huron might have used this myth to teacher the danger of hasty actions, to teach the value of sacrifice, or to teach the importance of working together for a common goal.CONNECT TO THE BIG IDEAWhat does the role of water animals in the creation of Earth suggest about Native American attitudes toward other living creatures?The fact that water animals took part in creating Earth suggests that Native Americans attach great importance to other living creatures.“HOW THE WORLD WAS MADE”ABOUT THE AUTHOR/ BUILDING BACKGROUND“How the World was Made” is a creation myth of the Cherokee Indians that explains how the world began. Like many of the tribe’s myths, we are able to read them today thanks to James Mooney, a Smithsonian Institution anthropologist who lived with the tribe between 1887 and 1890. After gaining their trust, he collected tribe members’ firsthand accounts of their rituals and stories.LITERARY ELEMENTSOral LiteratureCreation MythArchetypeREAD & RESPOND TO THE TEXTBig Idea (p. 24)What does Water-beetle’s role in the story reveal about the Cherokees’ relationship with animals? Water-beetle plays a crucial role in the creation of Earth, which reveals the importance of animals in the Cherokee culture. According to the myth, without animals, the world in which the Cherokee live would not exist.Archetype (p.24) What traits does the Great Buzzard share with characters you know from other stories?The Great Buzzard, whose flapping wings create mountains and valleys, has great strength. That he is called back implies he doesn’t know his own strength. (Characters from other stories will vary.)Drawing Conclusions (p. 25)What do you conclude is the reason that the Cherokee don’t eat crawfish?Since the shell of the Red Crawfish is a bright red, the Cherokee believe that the sun scorched it, therefore spoiling its meat.Drawing Conclusions (p. 25)According to the Cherokee, why are animals such as owls and panthers nocturnal?These and other animals are nocturnal because they were able to remain awake and keep watch for seven nights; the other animals couldn’t remain awake for the entire duration.Drawing Conclusions (p. 25)What do the Cherokee believe is the reason many trees lose their leaves in winter?Except for the cedar, pine, spruce, holly and laurel, most trees could not remain awake for seven straight nights.READ & RESPOND TO THE TEXTWhat is the little Water-beetle’s role in the creation of Earth? What does this tell you about Cherokee reverence for all creatures?The little Water-beetle brings up soft mud that grows into Earth. This tells us that the Cherokee respect all creatures.What do the “conjurers” do? Who do you think the conjurers are? Explain.The conjurers move the sun up. They seem to be magicians who control nature.We see that the animals and plants that were able to keep awake for seven nights were rewarded with special characteristics. What moral lesson might the Cherokee have been trying to teach through these animals and plants?The moral they may have been trying to teach is that vigilance and perseverance are rewarded.ANALYZE & EVALUATEWhat does the narrator say when Cherokee tradition has no answer or explanation for an occurrence?When there is no answer or explanation for an occurrence, the Cherokee say that “no one remembers” or “we do not know.”For the Cherokee, are humans more important than plants or animals or equal to them? Support your answer with examples from the myth.Humans are equal to plants and animals. The Cherokee believe that animals had a major role in creating Earth.Another archetype found in many myths and folktales is a daunting challenge or test that only heroic characters can overcome. How does this archetype appear in this myth?This archetype appears in the seven-night vigil that is overcome by certain animals and trees.CONNECT TO THE BIG IDEAWhy do you think the Cherokee people explain natural phenomena in story form?They explain everything in story form because narratives (stories) are memorable.What do their explanations suggest about their relationship with nature?Their explanations show that they feel close to nature.The Comparison Chart19050120650000260604000 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download