Native American Oral and Song Poetry

Introduction

Native Americans did not have a written language of their own, instead they spread their oral traditions through song and story telling. Today many of the tribes still use the same songs and stories! Now written down and translated into English, we can hear and read many different Native American poems.

Below are four different poems from four different tribes. Each poem expresses the different characteristics of the tribes through religion, war, location, nature, and animals.

Inuit--Eskimo--Song

The great sea has set me in motion.

Set me adrift,

And I move as a weed in the river.

The arch of sky

And mightiness of storms

Encompasses me,

And I am left

Trembling with joy

Yaqui Deer Song

Enchanted Enchanted Rattlesnke

Enchanted Enchanted rattlesnake

in the cactus is lying

Siirisiiri sounding

siirisiiri sounding

Sounding

sounding

Remember

he is frightened of the day

already in the cactus lying

Siirisiiri sounding

siirisiiri sounding

Sounding

sounding

Korosta Katzina Song

Hopi

Yellow butterflies,

Over the blossoming virgin corn,

With pollen-painted faces

Chase one another in brilliant throng.

Blue butterflies,

Over the blossoming virgin beans,

With pollen-painted faces

Chase one another in brilliant streams.

Over the blossoming corn,

Over the virgin corn,

Wild bees hum;

Over the blossoming beans,

Over the virgin beans,

Wild bees hum.

Over your field of growing corn

All day shall hang the thunder-cloud;

Over your field of growing corn

All day shall come the rushing rain.

I Will Walk (Chippewa)

I will walk into somebody's dwelling,

Into somebody's dwelling will I walk.

** Line Break

To thy dwelling, my dearly beloved,

Some night will I walk, will I walk.

** Line Break

Some night in the winter, my beloved,

To thy dwelling will I walk, will I walk.

** Line Break

This very night, my beloved,

To thy dwelling will I walk, will I walk.

Task

Breaking into four groups of four, create a digital photo story (or video creation) that represents the oral poetry's theme. Use apporopriate music and photos to display the poem. You can use the singing, readings, or orginal music. Describe the use of symbolizim, metaphors, and personification and how it influences the theme.

Use the websites listed below to search for your tribes characteristics and how these characteristics influence the theme of the poem or vice versa.

Inuit--Eskimo--Song:

http://www.arcticinuksuk.com/inuit-culture.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4xWsqXAkKc

Yauki Deer Song:

http://parentseyes.arizona.edu/wordsandplace/seyewailo.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gp_Dnrf9hU

Hopi Song:

http://nativeamerican-art.com/hopi-legends.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tve-aVTwW1Y

Chippewa Song:

http://www.native-languages.org/chippewa.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6vN_LUkplo

REMEBER DO YOU OWN RESEARCH AS WELL. CITE YOUR SOURCES IN MLA FORMAT!

Process

Step One: Break into four groups of four.
Step Two: Pick a poem and corresponding tribe for your group to represent. (Make sure it is different for every group)
Step Three: Analyze and interprete the poem in your own words.
Step Four: Collect pictures, music, or record your own voice reading the poem. Make a digital photostory or video of your poem's text.
Step Five: Record your voice over pictures or present a speech that describes the use of symbolism, metaphors, and personification that effects the theme of the poem.
Step Six: Describe the culture and characteristics of the tribe. Do these traits effect the poem or vice versa?

Evaluation

Below is the rubric that I will use to grade your final video or digital photostory.

Rubric credited to rubistar.4teachers.org -Digital PhotoStory Rubric

Digital Storytelling : Video/Digital PhotoStory of Native American Poetry

Teacher Name:

Ms. Fentress

Student Name: ________________________________________

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Duration of Presentation	Length of presentation was 7 minutes.	Length of presentation was 6 minutes.	Length of presentation was 5 minutes.	Presentation was less than 3 minutes long.
Images	Images create a distinct atmosphere or tone that matches different parts of the story. The images communicate symbolism and/or metaphors.	Images create an atmosphere or tone that matches some parts of the story. The images may communicate symbolism and/or metaphors.	An attempt was made to use images to create an atmosphere/tone but it needed more work. Image choice is logical.	Little or no attempt to use images to create an appropriate atmosphere/tone.
Point of View - Purpose	Establishes a purpose early on and maintains a clear focus throughout.	Establishes a purpose early on and maintains focus for most of the presentation.	There are a few lapses in focus, but the purpose is fairly clear.	It is difficult to figure out the purpose of the presentation.
Point of View - Awareness of Audience	Strong awareness of audience in the design. Students can clearly explain why they felt the vocabulary, audio and graphics chosen fit the target audience.	Some awareness of audience in the design. Students can partially explain why they felt the vocabulary, audio and graphics chosen fit the target audience.	Some awareness of audience in the design. Students find it difficult to explain how the vocabulary, audio and graphics chosen fit the target audience.	Limited awareness of the needs and interests of the target audience.
Soundtrack - Emotion	Music stirs a rich emotional response that matches the story line well.	Music stirs a rich emotional response that somewhat matches the story line.	Music is ok, and not distracting, but it does not add much to the story.	Music is distracting, inappropriate, OR was not used.

Date Created: Apr 21, 2014 12:33 pm (CDT)

Conclusion

Native American poetry is something to be treated as Early American poetry, even if it is not written down. Through your group's presentation, we all will be able to understand the different viewpoints of Native American culture as well as how these poems can still have an impact on life today.

Now you are ready to begin making your video or digital photostory! Make sure you use all the components I have provided for you to make a 100.

Credits

Anderson, Dallas. "Inuit Culture." Inuit Art Gallery. N.p., 2014. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. <http://www.arcticinuksuk.com/inuit-culture.html>.

"Eskimo Inuit Throat Singers." YouTube. YouTube, 04 June 2006. Web. Apr. 2014. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4xWsqXAkKc>.

Evers, Larry. "Words & Place." Words & Place. University of Arizona, n.d. Web. Apr. 2014. <http://parentseyes.arizona.edu/wordsandplace/seyewailo.html>.

"Hopi Butterfly Song." YouTube. YouTube, 13 Oct. 2009. Web. Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tve-aVTwW1Y>.

"Hopi Native American Beliefs, Legends and the Hopi Way." Native American Art. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2014. <http://nativeamerican-art.com/hopi-legends.html>.

"In The Beginning -Ojibwe-Chippewa.wmv." YouTube. YouTube, 20 May 2010. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6vN_LUkplo>

Nichols, Kathleen L. "Native American Songs/Poems." Native American Songs/Poems. N.p., 4 Mar. 2014. Web. Apr. 2014. <http://arcadiasystems.org/academia/songs.html>.

Redish, Laura, and Orrin Lewis. "Chippewa (Ojibway, Anishinaabe, Ojibwa)."Native Languages of the Americas. N.p., 2009. Web. Apr. 2014. <http://www.native-languages.org/chippewa.htm>.

"Seyewailo The Flower World, Yaqui Deer Songs." YouTube. YouTube, 20 Jan. 2010. Web. Apr. 2014. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gp_Dnrf9hU>.

Picture Credits:

Image 1: http://www.native-americans-online.com/native-american-ghost-dance.html

Image 2:http://www.nola.com/east-jefferson/index.ssf/2010/12/louisiana_native_a…

Image 3:http://www.clarkcountylive.com/native-american-pow-wow/

Image 4:http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/abed/logo_description.htm