Above is a picture of the Amtrak Station in Wishram, WA.
Good evening :)
Just to let everyone know that pictures of the whiteboard are now posted on MyMC. (Thank you, Orlando!) The two pictures from today's class are "creation myths" and "coyote tricksters." Please let me know if you need additional information after looking at them.
On Monday we will have a guest lecturer on American Indians in our region. We will also read the Raven and Rabbit stories at the following blog entry:
On Wednesday, we will move on to travel narratives (Columbus et al).
Here are some questions for you. Feel free to come up with your own questions for your blog or to include some summaries of the readings, especially as we move on to more complicated texts.
-- What would you like to present on for your first presentation? Why?
-- What do you know about the Native Americans in our region? What would you like to know?
-- Have you been to the American Indian Museum (or an American Indian museum, other than the one on the Mall)? What did you like about the museum? What did you find confusing?
-- Here is an interesting link to a story where Coyote ends the practice of allowing women to be chiefs among the Wishram:
How does this story fit with the other stories about Coyote? How does this story help you to understand Coyote's role? Or his attitude towards women?
-- Compare and contrast the stories about Raven and Rabbit to the ones about Coyote.
-- How do you define the trickster? Does the trickster exist outside of Native American literature? Where?
-- Discuss the trickster in pop culture. Here are links to the videos that we watched:
-- Why is the trickster entertaining?
-- What purpose does the trickster serve? What does he teach the storyteller's audience?
-- Here is an Inuit story about Sedna, the Goddess of the Sea.
Compare and contrast this story to the Raven tales. How does Sedna's story help you understand the Raven tales and their cultures more?
-- What have you learned about Native American cultures from reading their literature?
-- Feel free to research one of these cultures in more detail. What are some distinctive features of the culture? Where do its people live today? Where have they lived? Describe the gender roles in the society. Does YouTube have any videos about this group? How does this information help you understand the group and its literature in more detail?
-- Coyote has attracted the attention of creative writers. Raven has attracted visual artists. Rabbit's influence is limited to folklore and, of course, Bugs Bunny. Why do you think that is?
-- Why are these stories worth reading? Why are they worth studying?
I'm looking forward to hearing and seeing what you have to say!
Dr. Szlyk
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