Transcript In Harmony with Nature - Scripps Ranch High School

In Harmony with Nature
Native American Traditions
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

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

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

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

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

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)

Sky Woman
(1936)
By Ernest Smith
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
Sky Woman
(1936)
By Ernest Smith
The World on the Turtle’s Back
Theme

Expresses a Native American ideal of
people living in harmony with nature
Vocabulary

Void (noun) – An empty space
 There
A
was a void in my life until I met you.
void in the galaxy puzzled the scientists.
 The
void between the towns was lonely and
desolate.
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.
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.
Vocabulary

Contend (verb) – To compete; vie
 The
 No
football team contended for the trophy.
one will contend with me; they are too
scared.
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.
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
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