Homework Help: Native American Literature

Posted by Ann on Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 7:06pm.

How are the tensions of the time of Native American literature (Pre-1600) reflected in American literature?

There were a lot of white people at the time, that looked down on Native Americans. The white people would always try to steal their land and cause harm to their tribes, which started a few wars. But their were a few white people that were kind to Native Americans and would make treaties with them. Those who had treaties with Native Americans would help fend off the white people who wanted to harm them. Then, during the early 1800s, some Native American Literature was discovered. Ethnologist Henry Rowe Schoolcraft published a book about Native American history,etc. This started a chain reaction because slowly other writers would start writing autobiographies about Native Americans, to stories and books. Then they would write about other cultures and topics such as slavery. Now in American Literature, there are a wide variety of reading material containing stories and history of different cultures starring in these books. (Such as Asian Americans, African Americans, Slavery,etc.)

Is my answer historically and legitimately correct and does it answer the question?

Native American Literature - Ms. Sue, Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 7:14pm
The only inhabitants of the America before 1600 were Native Americans. The first settlements from Europe were made in the first two decades of the 1600s.
Native American Literature - Ann, Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 7:27pm
So my answer does not talk about the tensions of the time reflecting in American literaure?
Native American Literature - Ms. Sue, Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 7:34pm
Your question asks about pre-1600. Your answer includes information long after that.
Native American Literature - SraJMcGin, Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 7:45pm
Did you try ANY of the following links:

http://www.google.com/search?q=tensions+of+the+time+of+Native+American+literature+before+1600+reflected+in+American+literature&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Sra
Native American Literature - Ann, Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 7:58pm
Here is the original question: How are the tensions of the time reflected in American literature?

I thought that the question was asking how the tension during pre-1600 Native American literature reflected in American literature now.
Native American Literature - Ms. Sue, Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 8:02pm
Please study the sites that Sra posted.
Native American Literature - SraJMcGin, Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 8:23pm
See if you can find this publication:
THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF NATIVE STUDIES V,2(1985): 151-166.
Janette Murray's "What is Native American Literature" is about the best thing to read. I have the PDF which I can not post here, but I could give you a summary.

Native Americans communicated orally, including myths, and legends, which tended to be regional. The themes, as you have already discovered, were about nature and creation.

The first published book in an American Indian language was in 1653, John Eliot's "Catichism in the Indian Language" and in 1661 he translated the Bible into the Algonquian language.

Unfortunately two American Indian Languages are endangered: Navajo and Cherokee.

The Mi'kmaq hieroglyphs from the 1600s are constantly debated by scholars as to whether or not it qualifies as a writing system.

Of course, authors wrote ABOUT the American Indians in English, as did the Dutch.

This doesn't really answer your basic question. There were many "tensions" during the 17th century but were they reflected in Native American stories? Not to my knowledge.

Sra
Native American Literature - Ann, Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 8:38pm
So there were not many tensions that reflected in American Literature during Pre-1600 For Native American Literature?

But if my question wanted to know the tensions of Native American lit. during pre-1600 that reflected in American literature, then my answer above would be legitimately correct? And history wise?
Native American Literature - Ann, Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 8:40pm
I mean that reflected in American Literature after that time period until now
Native American Literature - SraJMcGin, Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 8:46pm
Aside from Native American Literature, and concentrating merely on tensions in American Literature pre 1600, try some of the following links:

http://www.google.com/search?q=tensions+reflected+in+American+Literature+pre+1600&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Sra
Native American Literature - Ann, Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 9:50pm
Thank You Both. One last question, why did the Native Americans us the types of writing and genres that they did ?
Genres: Native American literature's, stand apart as a separate tradition that is itself strong and varied. This culture had rich, established literature. Legends, folktales, and other forms of literature were preserved in oral form. stories that survive are creation myths, descriptions of the beginnings of the universe, the world and the origin of mankind. The creation myths of Native American cultures share with the Genesis accounts a concern with relationships among the divine, the human, and the world of animals and plants; the reasons behind those relationships; and the saga of the universe before the arrival of humanity.

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