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From "The Earth on Turtle's Back":
The Ancient Chief called the young men together and told them that they must pull up the tree. But the roots
of the tree were so deep, so strong, that they could not budge it. At last the Ancient Chief himself came to the tree. He
wrapped his arms around it, bent his knees and strained. At last, with one great effort, he uprooted the tree and placed it
on his side.
READ THE FULL PASSAGE
When read, you notice that there is a very strong descriptive nature of the writing. Try reading it aloud,
and it will enhance the text. For example, read aloud the following quotation from "The Earth on Turtle's Back":
The wife of the chief came close and leaned over to look down, grasping the tip of one of the Great Tree's
branches to steady her. It seemed as if she saw something down there, far below, glittering like water. She leaned out further
to look and, as she leaned, she lost her balance and fell into the hole. Her grasp slipped off the tip of the branch, leaving
her with only a handfull of seeds as she fell, down, down, down, down...
You also need to be aware of the large amount of personification (giving human characteristics to non-human
things). Animals, and nature and the environment in general, play a major role in Native American culture. Some Native American
societies viewed animals as helpers, providers, or even gods.
The Native American's strong spiritual connection with animals and the environment is portrayed in their
art. As shown at the right, totem poles are an example of Native American art that represents their connection with animals.
Another important, although usually overlooked, cultural trait of Native Americans that is portrayed in
stories is the will of succeeding. One of the Native American beliefs was the idea that one could defeat any obstacle with
a strong will to succeed. For example, in "The Earth on Turtle's Back":
"I will bring up Earth or die trying." They looked to see who it was. It was the tiny Muskrat. She dove
down and swam and swam. She was not as strong or as swift as the others, but she was determined. She went so deep that it
was all dark, and still she swam deeper. She swam so deep that her lungs felt ready to burst, but she swam deeper still. At
last, just as she was becoming unconscious, she reached out one small paw and grasped at the bottom, barely touching it before
she floated up, almost dead. When the other animals saw her break the surface they thought she had failed. Then they saw her
right paw was held tightly shut.
Another stylistic element portrayed in Native American writing is the use of repetition. Although
repetition can seem ineffective in writing or telling a story, it can build emphasis and expectation. By restating a few words
over and over again, it can either represent great importance or a distinct action. For example, in "The Earth on Turtle's
Back":
Her grasped slip off the tip of the branch, leaving her with only a handful of seeds as she fell,
down, down, down, down...
The use of repetition can be very useful in storytelling, in which repeating can spark importance
in the listener's ears.
THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE CULTURE OF THE AMERICAN SETTLERS. BECAUSE OF THIS, THERE
ARE CONFLICTING DESCRIPTIONS OF NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE SEPARATE WRITINGS.
SEE THE DIFFERENCES
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