Transcript Joseph bruchac - East Rutherford High School

Native American Oral Tradition
JOSEPH BRUCHAC
LITERARY TERMS
Myth:
oral stories told by people (often
connected to religious rituals and
traditions) to explain the origins of
the world and the natural order of
things
LITERARY TERMS
Archetype:
Found in most myths, an archetype is
an old imaginative pattern that
appears across cultures and is
repeated through the ages.
Examples: trickster, the quest, golden cup, boy wins
girl, etc.
LITERARY TERMS
Symbol:
A person, place, thing, or event that
has meaning in itself and stands for
something more than itself.
Examples: wedding band, doves, bald eagle, etc.
LITERARY TERMS
Metaphor:
A comparison that does not use
“like” or “as”
Example: The sequins on her dress were
diamonds sparkling under the lights.
LITERARY TERMS
Simile:
A comparison using “like” or “as”
Example: The sequins on her dress were like
diamonds sparkling under the lights.
LITERARY TERMS
Personification:
Giving human feelings, actions,
thoughts or attitudes to
inanimate objects
Example: The frost killed the flower.
JOSEPH BRUCHAC

Raised by his grandfather, a member of the
Abenaki tribe

His writings stress the importance of the Native
American literature as a means of preserving
history
“THE SUN STILL RISES IN THE SAME SKY”

What does Bruchac say has been a problem in
Native American literature in the past?
Different from oral traditions such as The
Odyssey and Beowulf, Native American oral
traditions have not received serious attention.
Also, Hollywood has delivered many
misconceptions about Native Americans.
“THE SUN STILL RISES IN THE SAME SKY”
What generalizations does Bruchac make about
Native American oral traditions?
teach moral lessons and practical information
about the natural world
 Animals and humans are interchangeable in myths
 Keen awareness of the power of metaphor
 Tenacious, dynamic, and responsive to change
 The worldview is that of an endless circle (cycle of
life)

“THE SUN STILL RISES IN THE SAME SKY”
What does this title mean?

The important things in life never change.

Don’t sweat the little things…like how you are
going to get to the important ceremony.

What is important is that you are there.
“THE SKY TREE”
•
Creation myth of the Huron
•
Located around the Great Lakes and
toward the Atlantic Ocean
•
Lived along the St Lawrence River
“THE SKY TREE”
What is the moral of “The
Sky Tree”?
What archetype does the
sky tree represent?
The circle of life. The tree
will take root and grow
again.
The tree of life. The fruit of
which is life giving.
“THE EARTH ONLY”

Teton Sioux, North American Plains

Sometimes called the Dakota because they
were nomads that followed the buffalo across
the Dakotas

Offered intense resistance to the westward
expansion of the US
“THE EARTH ONLY”
What does this myth say
about change?
Change is in everything. It
is unavoidable.
What statement is “The
Earth Only” making by
what it does not say?
[What does not endure?]
Everything passes away
except the earth.
“THE EARTH ONLY”
What archetype is
represented?
The old men=wisdom
“COYOTE FINISHES HIS WORK”

Nez Perce, Plateau Indians

Lived in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington

Nez Perce = pierced nose (French coined the
name)

In 1877, the Nez Perce leader, Chief Joseph,
surrendered to federal troops with the now famous
words, “I will fight no more forever.”
“COYOTE FINISHES HIS WORK”
What archetypes are used?
Coyote = trickster
Old Man = God
Creation story
Tribulation story
Reminds one of the tribulation story in
Revelations as God returns to take his people
home.