Native American Presentation

Native American literature

Ashlyn, Ava, Emma

index

1. Inuit Stories

4. Native American Writers

2. Inuit History

5. Compare and Contrast

6. Ioway Tribe

3. Inuit Games

The Goddess of the Sea: The Story of Sedna.

The story behind that song has many variations. The most common starts with a handsome young stranger enters a family igloo wearing a necklace with two large canine teeth. He is welcomed into the bed and sleeps with the entire family. When they awake the next morning, the young man is gone. The father, seeing only animal tracks outside, says, "We were deceived. That must have been my lead dog disguised as a man." When his daughter becomes pregnant, the father, ashamed of what she might produce, makes his daughter lie on the back of his kayak while he paddles to a small island where he abandons her. Alone on the island, the girl receives tender pieces of meat from the lead dog, who swam out to provide for her. She gives birth to six young; three are Inuit children, but the other three have bigger ears and snout-like noses. The young mother sews sealskins into one large slipper, places the three strange children inside, and pushes them off the island toward the south, calling out, "Sarutiktapsinik sanavagumarkpusi'"(You shall be good at making weapons). Some Inuit say that European and First Nations peoples are descended from those three dog children and only through them are they related to the Inuit.The second part of the story, usually told on the following night, tells of the father going in an umiak, a large skin boat, to take his daughter off the island. On their way home a storm rises, threatening to capsize the overloaded boat. The boatmen decide that to lighten the load they must throw the daughter overboard. When she tries to climb back into the boat, her father cuts off her fingers. These fingers become seals in the sea. She tries again and he cuts off her hands, which become walruses. She makes one last attempt to climb aboard the boat but her father cuts off her forearms, which transform into whales. Cast out of the boat for good, the girl sinks into the depths of the sea and becomes Sedna, the woman who controls all sea beasts and is half-woman and half-fish.

That woman down there beneath the sea,She wants to hide the seals from us.These hunters in the dance house, They cannot mend matters. They cannot mend matters. Into the spirit world Will go I, Where no humans dwell. Set matters right will I. Set matters right will I.

Story from The Canadian Encyclopedia

"Sun sister and moon brother"

In olden times a brother and his sister lived in a large village in which there was a singing house, and every night the sister with her playfellows enjoyed themselves in this house.Once upon a time, when all the lamps in the singing house were extinguished, somebody came in and outraged her. She was unable to recognize him; but she blackened her hands with soot and when the same again happened besmeared the man's back with it. When the lamps were relighted she saw that the violator was her brother. In great anger she sharpened a knife and cut off her breasts, which she offered to him, saying: "Since you seem to relish me, eat this." Her brother fell into a passion and she fled from him, running about the room. She seized a piece of wood (with which the lamps are kept in order) which was burning brightly and rushed out of the house. The brother took another one, but in his pursuit he fell down and extinguished his light, which continued to glow only faintly. Gradually both were lifted up and continued their course in the sky, the sister being transformed into the sun, the brother into the moon. Whenever the new moon first appears she sings: Aningaga tapika, takirn tapika qaumidjatedlirpoq; qaumatitaudle. Aningaga tapika, tikipoq tapika. (My brother up there, the moon up there begins to shine; he will be bright. My brother up there, he is coming up there). (Story written by Franz Boaz in 1888)

Discuss a common theme with this story and the last one

Inuit history and how it shows in their stories.

Those last two stories showed a common theme of cutting off limbs and/or eating them. They also both deal with Gods which is a very big factor in Inuit mythology. In this time period (and even now) Inuits ate raw meat and used the whole body. The skin was used as clothes, bones for brushes or sewing needles, and nothing was wasted. They were also very interested in wonders of the world which is why Sedna explains who keeps the animals and the second story tells of how the Sun and Moon were created. Another important part of Inuit history is when Europeans started meeting them. The Europeans reffered to them as Eskimos which is believed to mean "eater of raw meat." If you heard that you immediatly think violence and that is not what the Inuits represent. The Inuits never liked being called that because the Europeans were using it in a racist way so please only refer to them by Inuit. :)

Would you eat these common Inuit foods? Discuss with your group.

Join together and play a game

Inuit games were used to train everyone to be better hunters and have better agility and stamina.

Play kahoot with class to test your knowledge!

Famous native american writers

James Welch

Grew up as part of Blackfeet and A'aninin. Known as a founding father of the Native American reniassance period.

Scott Momaday

Joy Harjo

Scott Momaday was a member of the Kiowa Tribe. He not only wrote, but also painted and did poetry. His most famous novel, "House of Dawn" is a breakthrough for Native American anthropology.

Part of the Muscogee Nation and went to the University of Iowa! Most famously known for poetry and singing. She was the first Native American United States Poet Laureate ever. This inspired many younger Native Americans.

Sherman Alexie

Lived on the Spokane Indian Reservation. He wrote short stories about Native American hardships. His first novel he wote was called "Reservation Blues."

Leslie Marmon Silko

From the Laguna Pueblo Indian Women. Her works were focused on how Native Americans feel like outcasts in white settings. She says they should always practice their native traditions.

History behind literature

Many Native American writers incoprporate hardships into their writing because Native Americans have had it rough. We came here took their land, killed them, and gave them no credit. This is why many writers write about how important it is that Native American Traditions stay alive.

Compare and contrast

Ioway Tribe

Inuit Tribe

Ioway Tribe

This tribe is the tribe that Iowa is named after. Their most popular literature types are stories regarding war gods and nature. This type of writing teaches people to respect nature. The most famous story is the story, "Adventures of Ictinike." He decrespects a rabbit that he encountered in the forest and in the end the rabbit ends up killing him. When people in this tribe read these stories it teaches them to respect the nature around them. Teaching the tribe to respect nature was big because they lived near many trees and animals.

Can you think of any stories that involve trickery or nature? Dicuss with your table.

thanks!