The Passing Down of a Tribes Ancient Legends Essay example -- Tribal

The Passing Down of a Tribe's Ancient Legends Thesis: The Shaman’s job of passing down the tribe’s ancient legends are very important. I Shamans A. definition B. purpose 1. balance 2. success hunting 3. planting 4. cure sickness C. Usually males 1. post menopausal women 2. blood powers II passed down from generation to generation A. usually from memory 1. sand drawings 2. birch bark scrolls 3. paintings on rocks 4. animal hides B. children 1. eight-familiar stories 2. ten- know history III answer basic questions A. where do we come from B. where are we going C. how the world came into being D. how it was transformed E. guidelines of behavior F. tools of survival IV unknown how long been around A. possible nomadic ancestors from old world 1. Siberian land bridge 2. Migrated 3. Regional tales similar B. Environmental contributions 1. northeastern forest dwellers a. arctic hare b. wolf c. cedar tree 2. agricultural southerners a. Corn maidens b. Sacred mountains 3. coastal people a. aquatic animals b. sea birds c. ocean monsters V stories told in different ways A. told by fire B. Chanting 1. Netslik Inuit 2. Special powers VI special rites A. Maidu-lay down B. Cheyenne-smooth dirt C. Other-presents VII Special words A. Seneca- when the world was new B. Pima- they say it happened long ago C. Zuni answers D. Californian- order back to cave VIII Reoccurring themes A. Mother earth B. Humans and animals C. Animal teachers D. Plots 1. complex 2. humor 3. values IX equal with everything A. Share earth like family B. Man another animal X characters A. Animals 1. ravens 2. raccoons 3. foxes 4. beavers 5. blue jays 6. spiders B roles 1. helpers 2. meddlers 3. both C Coyote 1. respected 2. cunning 3. able to survive in all environments a. prairie b. woodlands c. mountains d. desert XI Crow Indians A Old man coyote B. Ducks 1. root 2. mud C. Empty island 1. root- trees plants 2. ducks 3. men 4. women 5. different animals 6. drum 7. songs 8. dancing D. Shirape 1.weapons 2. Different languages 3. war XII One animal A. Plains Indians-muskrat B. Inuit- raven with spear C. Californian –turtles, waterfowl D. Many- turtle XIII Seneca A. chief’s wife falls B. waterfowl catch C. frog gets dirt D. turtle spreads- landmass XIV Nez Perce A. Monster eats all ... ...ld be known as the wolf people, the Skidi Pawnee. The Wolf Star watched all this from the southern sky. The Pawnee call this star Fools the Wolves, because it rises just before the morning star and tricks the wolves into howling before first light. In this way the Wolf Star continues to remind people that when it came time to build the earth, he was forgotten.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After reading and learning about these creation legends I am intrigued. The shaman’s job of keeping and teaching the legends isn’t even their full job, but it’s important enough to be one. They have to remember and keep all of the customs that go with the story also. I think that they their way of teaching history is great. They all memorize the stories when they are very young and share them. These stories aren’t just history, they are also the guidelines for the children’s behavior. Bibliography Flaherty, Thomas H. The Spirit World. Virginia: Time Life Books, 1992. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/5484/legend.html http://www.home.swipnet.se/~w-27834/wolf/myth3.html http://www.score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/wappo/legend.html Leonard, Linda Schierse. Creation’s Heartbeat. New York: Bantam Books, 1995.