NAV - Oral Traditions Lesson
Oral Traditions Lesson
We begin our journey through the literature of our great nation with the voices of the people who inhabited this land long before it became the United States - Native Americans. Please view the following video, which will introduce you to Native America and its oral tradition. Please be patient while the video loads - depending on your internet connection, it may take some time. Ensure that your speakers are turned up, and use the controls at the bottom of the presentation to pause and review the video as needed.
Native American Mythology
Despite the immense variety among tribes, certain themes, characters, and stories can be identified as common enough to be worth noting.
Reading Time
The Onandaga Creation Story
Now it's your chance to apply what you've learned about Native American mythology to an actual myth, the creation story of the Onandaga tribe. The Onandaga was one of the five tribes forming the Iroquois Confederacy in the area of present-day New York. Read the creation myth "The Earth on Turtle's Back," found below. As you read, pay attention to the importance the Onondaga tribe placed on dreams and how they believe the world came into existence.
"The Earth on Turtle's Back" Links to an external site.
RESOURCES IN THIS MODULE ARE OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER) OR CREATED BY GAVS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. SOME IMAGES USED UNDER SUBSCRIPTION.