Native American Literature

Native American Literature Overview of Culture: When the Europeans arrived in the late 15th century, there were about 350 different tribes of Indians Tribes highly organized—systematic approaches to agriculture, marriage, inheritance, social codes, religious traditions Culture sustained by the oral tradition—histories, prayers, moral tales, poems passed on from speaker to speaker Indians did not live in perfect harmony with nature and each other as some like to believe —lots of tribal warfare and enslavement Difficulties with Translation Indian oral language is highly visual and aural—hand gestures, facial expression, intonations—often use rhythm and instrumentation—these features all make translation into a written language problematic White translators were not always reliable—often had personal prejudices for or against the message being translated Poetry nearly defies translation Poetry Rich tradition in song: sacred songs, work songs, lullabies, hunting songs, love songs, elegies, personal experience Intended for performance—usually accompanied by percussion and wind instruments Often associated with their spiritism—casting spells Tales Didactic—used to teach and reinforce cultural, spiritual, and moral values—to teach tradition and history—to express cultural pride—to entertain Tend to be episodic in structure, humor, one-dimensional characters Only what advances the plot is related—descriptive details are sparse—stories sometimes abrupt “Chief’s Daughters”—one of a group of “Star Husband” tales “There’s no place like home” Be satisfied with what you are and what you have Be careful what you ask for Reward for humility; punishment for ambition (pride) Oratory Extremely important to leadership—unanimous approval of important decisions necessary Orators used various devices—intonation, gestures, pauses, for dramatic effect Only public speeches available—speeches to white men (none available within cultural context) “Speech of Red Jacket”—polite, but direct and firm, response to missionaries seeking to convert Indians to Christianity