In my Master’s Thesis I will refer to my Bachelor’s Thesis, which was about ‘Native American Women’. I analyzed how Native American women lived in their communities and especially how their role was and is in contrast to what Europeans and European Americans think it was. I found that the role of women in Native America was in many ways different from the role of European women at the same time. After I became engrossed in the topic of Native American culture and Native American women in particular I became curious about what Native Americans believed, what their philosophy was and how they organized their spiritual life. This is why I decided to research this and focus on Native American beliefs, ideology and philosophy of life in my Master’s Thesis. In my thesis I will not concentrate on one or several special tribes. Instead I will try to give a comprehensive survey of Native American religion in general. While doing so, I will always look for and give adequate examples that illustrate what I want to convey.
I will divide this thesis into three parts. The first part will be devoted to the history of Native American religion. In my opinion it is not possible to look at another culture’s religion without finding out the story of its religion first. I want to do research on what Native Americans believed through the course of time and believe today, if their belief system has changed and what consequences white contact brought. I want to find out how Native
American religion as it used to be before white contact developed and survived. Furthermore, I want to discover if Natives today still have the same beliefs as their ancestors or if most of them converted to the Christian religion and the Western way of looking at the world. I want to find out if any aspects changed over time, which aspects endured and why. Also I want to find out if all Native tribes have the same religious background or if their beliefs and practices differ. To do this I will provide an overview over Native American practices and talk about their significance for Native American religion.
The second part will be concerned with storytelling and Native American religion. This will be the main part, which will revolve around the overall key topic of this thesis:
“The Importance of Storytelling for the Survival of Native American Religion".
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
:- Introduction
- Native American Religion
- A Historical Research
- Continuity and Change
- Similarities in Native American Religion
- European Influence
- Christianity and Native American Religion
- A Historical Research
- Native American Storytelling
- An Ancient Native American Art
- Sources of Knowledge
- Facts about Native American Storytelling
- The Relevance of Stories for Rituals
- Surviving through Stories
- Oral Tradition and Literature
- An Ancient Native American Art
- Ideas For Teaching
- Native American Religion in the EFL-Classroom
- Teaching grades 5 and 6
- Teaching grades 7 and 8
- Teaching grades 9 and 10
- Native American Religion in the EFL-Classroom
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
: This Master’s Thesis analyzes the importance of storytelling for the survival of Native American religion. The thesis examines the history of Native American religion, focusing on changes and continuities within the various tribes and their belief systems. The work then delves into the art of Native American storytelling, exploring its diverse forms, its connection to rituals, and its role in preserving cultural and religious knowledge. Finally, the thesis suggests practical teaching ideas for integrating Native American culture and religion into English as a Foreign Language classrooms.- The historical development of Native American religion
- The significance of storytelling in Native American culture and religion
- The impact of European influence and colonialism on Native American beliefs and practices
- The preservation and transmission of cultural knowledge through oral tradition
- Practical approaches for teaching Native American culture and religion in EFL classrooms
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
: This section focuses on summarizing the main themes and arguments of each chapter. It excludes summaries of the conclusion or final chapter to avoid spoilers.Chapter 1: Introduction
: This chapter introduces the topic of the Master’s Thesis, outlining the goals and hypothesis of the work. It highlights the author’s interest in Native American culture and the importance of understanding the role of storytelling in the preservation of their religious traditions.Chapter 2: Native American Religion
: This chapter presents a historical analysis of Native American religion, exploring the complex relationship between religious beliefs, cultural practices, and historical events. The chapter discusses continuity and change within Native American religion, analyzing the impact of European influence and the introduction of Christianity on tribal traditions.Chapter 3: Native American Storytelling
: This chapter delves into the significance of storytelling in Native American culture and religion. The author examines the various forms of Native American narratives, highlighting their connection to rituals and ceremonies. This chapter also emphasizes the importance of storytelling in transmitting religious knowledge across generations and its crucial role in the survival of Native American religion.Chapter 4: Ideas For Teaching
: This chapter focuses on practical applications, providing specific suggestions for teaching Native American culture and religion within the EFL classroom. The author outlines strategies and materials for different grade levels, suggesting engaging activities, multimedia resources, and teaching methods for fostering intercultural understanding and awareness.Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
: This section outlines the main keywords and focus topics of the text. The main keywords and concepts explored in this thesis are: Native American religion, storytelling, oral tradition, cultural survival, European influence, colonialism, cultural diversity, intercultural education, EFL classroom, teaching resources. The thesis examines the role of storytelling as a crucial element in preserving and transmitting religious and cultural knowledge, particularly in the context of colonial influences and cultural changes.- Citar trabajo
- M.Ed. Nadine Thäder (Autor), 2008, The Importance of Storytelling for the Survival of Native American Religion, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/139535
