native american communication · storytelling (also known as “word of mouth” or “the oral...

NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNICATION

Before the Europeans…

¨  Numerous groups of native tribes living throughout North America

¨  The largest tribe was the Aztec Empire (in what is now Mexico) – numbering in the millions!

¨  Europeans began arriving in the 1490s.

Native American Communication

The Native Americans passed down stories through storytelling (also known as

“word of mouth” or “the oral tradition”).

Other forms of communication

While Native Americans did not have a sophisticated system of writing, many tribes used symbolic drawings known as pictographs to communicate stories as well.

Native American Communication

¨  Two main forms of communication ¤ Storytelling

n “the oral tradition” n Each tribe has a storyteller n Stories are passed down from generation to generation

¤ Pictographs n Drawings n Often found in caves, on trees, or on animal hides

Topics in Native American Tales

The early Native Americans believed in the cyclical nature of existence.

Examples:

Nature Life

The Cycle The Cycle

Other Details about Native American Communication

1.  practical information about nature 2.  moral lessons 3.  both animal and human characters 4.  stories/chants/actions could be powerful and

make things happen (rain, harvest, successful hunt) 5.  ARCHETYPES!

What‘s an archetype?

• An archetype is a repeated pattern.

• An archetype could be a character, a plot, or an image.

¨  Characters ¤  Evil villain ¤  Helpless victim ¤  The goofball ¤  The hero

¨  Plots ¤  Boy gets girl ¤  Hero defeats villain ¤  The underdog finally wins

¨  Images ¤  Nature as Mother (Mother Nature) ¤  Tree = giver of life ¤  City = Promised Land

Two European Views

¨  A Puritan settler from England

¨  Wrote about his experiences in a book called Of Plymouth Plantation

¨  Factual account of colonizing America

¨  An explorer from England

¨  Explore and $$$$$ ¨  Mapped the East

Coast ¨  Wrote an

advertisement for America, extreme exaggeration

William Bradford, 1620 John Smith, 1608

PURITAN LITERATURE Presented this 22 day of August in Puritan-appropriate black and white. Please do not enjoy.

Puritans

¨  Originated in England ¨  Sought to purify the

Church of England ¨  Persecuted in England

because of their strident beliefs

¨  Fled England and initially relocated in Holland

Some Puritan Terms

¨  Theocracy – government based on the word of God ¨  Puritan Paradox – fled England to escape

persecution, yet proceeded to persecute others in the New World

¨  Original Sin – the belief that every human is born in sin and therefore all humans are innately sinful

¨  Predestination – the belief that God saves only a chosen few – “The Elect”; you strive to live a decent, sin-free life in order to insure your place in heaven should you be among “The Elect”

¨  Saved by Grace

Core Puritan Values (not necessarily bad)

¨  Hard work ¨  Simplicity in all aspects

of life (dress, behavior, speech)

¨  Self-reliance ¨  Education (Puritans

established Harvard College in 1636)

Core Puritan Values (could be necessarily bad)

¨  Sin punished publically ¨  Children were born

sinful and must be constantly corrected, by parents and community

¨  Laughing and sleeping in church punishable publically

TRAITS OF WRITING

1. Simple  

2. Often religious (Biblically based)

3. Very few figures of speech/literary devices (metaphors, “flowery” language)

Examples: --journals

--poems

--sermons