Native American Storytelling

In class on Monday, we talked about the validity that Native American history has on its claim of how and why the mounds were built (especially the effigy mounds created in the Late Woodland Period). The conclusion we reached matched with the book, saying that although the stories and histories of the mound builders may have been passed down to current Native Americans, we can't take their stories as factual evidence. There are too many variables that can cloud the true reasons behind the formation of the mounds, and (as in the case with the Ho-Chunk tribe), their histories might have been influenced by researchers offering hypotheses about what the mounds stood for.

I think it's good to be tentative about accepting Native American storytelling as true fact, but I also think it shouldn't be dismissed. The book made a point of saying they did not use Native American stories in their research for this book, but that hopefully in future years such an endeavor would be made. Even if Native Americans don't know anything about the effigy mounds created by their ancestors, their culture and stories can still provide relevant information.

The more we learn about culture in current tribes, the more we can learn about the past. It's especially important to talk with Native Americans now to learn what we can because their stories live on in the oral tradition...and the more the years pass, the more the stories change and the less accurate they become. There are certain aspects of their history that have remained solid throughout generations, however, and I think they provide insight into the past that shouldn't be overlooked (such as bird symbols, dances, etc.).

Here are some links to videos of Native American storytellers as well as links to sites about Native American culture past and present:

http://www.pbs.org/circleofstories/

http://www.djmcadam.com/ojibwe.html