NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATUREIntroduction to

EARLY AMERICA...WHO WAS HERE FIRST? Before Columbus reached North

America, probably 1 million “Indians” Speculation that they arrived by way of

Bering Land Bridge 12,000 years before Columbus arrived

Several hundred tribes More than 500 languages and cultures

EARLY AMERICA…WHO WAS HERE FIRST?

CULTURE 1.Nature and man have a deeply intimate

relationship; they are inseparably linked 2.There is one Almighty God and life is his

precious gift 3. All life (including the land, sky, animals)

should be revered and respected 4.Rituals are a necessary part of life; they are

reminders of the link between man and spirit world.

5.The earth will provide all a man needs.

RELIGION Strong belief in spirit world. Spirits

could inhabit Animals Plants Places

NATURE Connection to a higher power God in everything Close to transcendentalism Most worshipped one main God

APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAYFLOWERS…

APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAYFLOWERS… Europeans arrived in 16th-17th Century For most part, welcomed by natives Regarded as a bit of a marvel—beards,

clothing, technology First encounters were positive…

APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAYFLOWERS… Squanto was an Indian that had been

to Europe and learned to speak English Came upon the starving colonists and

fed them through winter and taught to farm

Not just “friendly”—had already encountered white slave traders raiding their villages for hundreds of years

Providing for those in need was their “way”

…WHAT DO MAYFLOWERS BRING? Pilgrims saw the Indians as heathens,

of the Devil Saw Squanto, not as equal, but as

instrument of God to help them as chosen people

Real reason for Thanksgiving—Indian tribe signed treaty granting them rights to Plymouth

Natives provided a great deal for them…

…WHAT DO MAYFLOWERS BRING? What did they get for their troubles?

Sickness Death Rape Pillage Destruction Broken Dreams

…WHAT DO MAYFLOWERS BRING? Within 20 yrs. European disease decimated

the tribes Came from domesticated animals Spread through diseased blankets given as

gifts Some estimates say almost 90% of pop. killed

by disease By 1623, Pilgrim leaders were giving thanks

to God for destroying the heathen savages to make way for a better growth for his people

KILLING IN THE NAME OF…

KILLING IN THE NAME OF…

Whites appeared oblivious to spirit of nature

Thought of land as an obstacle, enemy, commodity

Viewed with measure of contempt

KILLING IN THE NAME OF…

Forest was just timber for use in building

Beaver colony was just many pelts to trade

Herd of Buffalo was so many robes and furs

Even Indians were a resource—souls ripe for religious conversion

Europeans were culturally arrogant

“I WILL FIGHT NO MORE FOREVER.” - CHIEF JOSEPH

Often gave in to settlers, government peacefully.

Gave up rights to lands held by their ancestors for centuries.

Signed many treaties that were broken Forced to live on reservations of

government-appointed lands where hunting was restricted

“I WILL FIGHT NO MORE FOREVER.” - CHIEF JOSEPH

Wars broke out because of broken promises

Led to Indian Removal Act of 1830 Trail of Tears 15,000 Cherokees forced to move Almost half died making the trip Battle of Wounded Knee was a Massacre

FAMOUS NATIVE AMERICANS:CHIEF JOSEPH

•Born 1840•Leader of the Nez Perce tribe in Oregon•Government took over their land after Treaty of 1855 promised they could stay •Led to Nez Perce war in 1877•Joseph surrendered and Nez Perce were moved to Kansas, then Oklahoma, then Washington where Joseph died in 1904

FAMOUS NATIVE AMERICANS:GERONIMO

•Born in 1829•Apache name Gokhlayeh means “One who Yawns.”•Led raids on Mexican and American settlers•May have gotten his name, Geronimo, from Spanish word for Jerome, as in St. Jerome•Captured in 1877 placed on Indian reservation•Escaped in 1880

•Convinced to return in 1883, but escaped again in 1885•3,000 soldiers searched for him for nearly a year•Died 1909

FAMOUS NATIVE AMERICANS:BLACK ELK•Born 1863•13 years old at Battle of Little Big Horn•27 years old during the Wounded Knee massacre•At 23 travelled with the “Buffalo Bill Cody Wild West Show” for 3 years•Considered a shaman•Most famous for his visions at age 9 of his people’s future •Dictated to John Niehardt in 1931•Book, Black Elk Speaks, is written as a result

LOCAL TIES TO NATIVE AMERICANS:CHIEF JOHN ROSS

•Born 1790 near Lookout Mountain•Tried to promote education among Cherokee•Drafted Cherokee Constitution•Chief of Eastern Cherokee Tribe•Andrew Jackson sent treaty to pay Indians to leave Georgia …Ross and the Cherokee refused and was arrested•Davy Crockett also opposed and lost his Senate seat•While Ross incarcerated, acting chief Major Ridge

signed•1838 Andrew Jackson sent 7,000 soldiers to remove the Cherokee…Trail of Tears

ROSS’S LANDING

JOHN ROSS HOUSE

LOCAL TIES TO NATIVE AMERICANS:SEQUOYAH

•Born in 1770 in Taskigi, Tennessee•Became curious about “talking leaves”•Believed if Cherokees had a system of written communication, they could retain their independence from the white man•Developed the Cherokee alphabet•John Ross encouraged Cherokees to adopt his alphabet•Tried to interpret other Native American languages into written form•Died 1843 tracing Pre-Revolution Cherokee heritage

WHAT IS LITERATURE? A body of written works related by

subject-matter by language or place of origin, or by prevailing cultural standards of merit. In this last sense, “literature” is taken to include oral, dramatic, and broadcast compositions that may not have been published in written form but which have been (or deserved to be) preserved.

* Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms

CAMPFIRE STORIES: NATIVE AMERICAN CONTRIBUTION TO LITERATURE

No written literature More than 500 different languages/cultures before

first European settlers arrived Early contribution comes from

Myths Legends Tales Prayers Songs