What role does Native American oral literature play in the education of Native American children? What are the moral values and educational messages that can be found in short stories like Zitkala-Sa’s “Iktomi and the Ducks”? Are there significant differences from the lessons that non-Native literature teaches children? This paper approaches these different questions by referring to several characters and plots featured in the narratives by Zitkala-Sa. First of all, the didactic messages involved in the stories demand a categorization of the large number of different narratives as the second chapter of the paper examines. Besides the didactic messages, the traditional manners of storytelling also play an important role for Native American adults and children. Special ceremonial customs related to the act of storytelling need to be analyzed. The third chapter of this paper focuses on the particular characters and actual examples of how proper behavior is conveyed by either serving as good or bad examples. Furthermore, the paper investigates the degree of importance and the need for traditional tales in the context of educating Native children. The character of the Indian trickster plays an essential role in these processes. After having prospected these aspects, one might also be able to evaluate the usefulness of Zitkala-Sa’s Sioux stories for the education of non-Native children.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Role of Indian Tales in the Education of Native American Children
2.1 Manners of Storytelling
2.2 Didactic Messages of the Stories
3. The Educating Function of Iktomi and his Fellow Characters
3.1 Iktomi, the Spider Fairy
3.2 Iya, the Giant
3.3 Old Double Face
3.4 Manstin, the Rabbit
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
The paper examines the educational function of Native American oral literature, specifically focusing on how moral values and behavioral patterns are conveyed through Zitkala-Sa’s Sioux stories to children.
- Role of storytelling in Native American culture
- Didactic messages within oral narratives
- Functions and characteristics of the Indian trickster figure
- Educational value of both positive and negative role models
- Universality of moral lessons across cultures
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Manners of Storytelling
Traditionally, the Native American tales are referred to as “oral literatures”. Approaching the question how unwritten works can be called literature, Andrew Wiget (1994: 3) explains that “for oral literatures without alphabetic ‘letters,’ literature is whatever language is deemed worthy of sufficient repetition to assure it will be remembered and passed along”. Thus, the role of tales and the process of passing on this literal heritage go along with the educational function that the tales and legends have.
Approaching the question of this oral literature became part of the education of Native American children, one has to consider the stories as being part of the family. Agnes M. Picotte expresses that the tales were told during the time when the whole family was about to sleep (Zitkala-Sa 2004: xx). Thus, a calm atmosphere permitted receptivity for the children to listen to the stories.
Furthermore, the tales were traditionally told during the wintertime. The female Yakima Virginia Beavert states that even in the comparatively modern Indian life of the 20th century, the houses were warm and some prepared food accompanied the act of listening to the storyteller. This has a long tradition, as John Lowe has pointed out with reference to gatherings of people in the lodges in the wintertime (1994: 195). One can also easily transfer this to our culture since the winter months traditionally are the time when most of the fairytales are told or nowadays shown on TV.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter defines the research scope, focusing on the moral and educational messages found in Zitkala-Sa’s Sioux narratives.
2. The Role of Indian Tales in the Education of Native American Children: This section explores the cultural context of storytelling, including traditional customs and the categorization of didactic oral literature.
3. The Educating Function of Iktomi and his Fellow Characters: This chapter provides a detailed analysis of specific trickster characters and how their actions serve as negative examples to teach moral behavior.
4. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the findings, highlighting the enduring relevance of these stories for both Native and non-Native children.
Keywords
Zitkala-Sa, Native American, Sioux stories, oral literature, trickster, education, didactics, storytelling, moral values, Iktomi, Iya, Manstin, culture-hero, cultural heritage, behavior patterns.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores the educational utility of Native American oral literature, specifically looking at how Zitkala-Sa’s stories function to teach moral values and social behavior to children.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
Key themes include the role of family storytelling, the categorization of oral narratives, the characteristics of the trickster figure, and the preservation of cultural heritage.
What is the main research question?
The research investigates what role Native American oral literature plays in the education of Native children and whether these stories provide moral lessons useful for non-Native children as well.
Which scientific method is applied here?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, examining specific character traits and plot structures within Zitkala-Sa's narratives to determine their educational function.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The body analyzes the traditional settings of storytelling, the didactic nature of the tales, and specific archetypes like Iktomi, Iya, and Manstin.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key concepts include Zitkala-Sa, trickster figures, educational function, oral literature, and Sioux culture.
How does the author define the function of the trickster?
The author defines the trickster as an "overreacher" who serves as a negative role model; by exhibiting taboo or socially unacceptable behavior, the trickster warns children against similar actions.
What specific educational role does the rabbit character "Manstin" play?
Unlike the tricksters, Manstin represents positive traits like valor, friendship, and the importance of being satisfied with one's own natural abilities rather than being jealous of others.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Nico Reiher (Autor:in), 2008, The Educating Function of Zitkala-Sa’s Sioux Stories, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/154983
