Native American Myths & Archetypes

Native American Culture characteristics

●

The land is sacred. It is a living part of all beings which
cannot be owned.


●

Native American life is organized around the cycles of
nature. (Circle of Life Idea)


●

Traditions are passed verbally to different generations
through the telling of sacred stories.


●

Speechmaking and story-telling contribute to one’s rise in
the clan structure.


*Information paraphrased from “American Indian Belief Systems and Traditional Practices” by Bey E. S.
Duran, MSW, MPH The University of Oklahoma found at
hps://www.wellnesscourts.org/files/Duran%20-%20American%20Indian%20Belief%20Systems.pdf

Native American Literature Characteristics

●

It is based on an oral tradition.


●
The myth is the most important genre.


●
The myth explains human behavior and mysteries of the
universe.


●
The myth uses the supernatural to explain the natural.


●
The myth employs the use of metaphors and similes.

○
Metaphor: compares unlike ideas by saying one thing is
another.

■
The sun is a clock moving across the sky.


○
Simile: compares unlike ideas by using the words ‘like’ or ‘as.’

■
Life is like a box of chocolates.


There are two Types of Myths

This type of myth tells how the world

was made and how human life came

to be.


Creation Myth

This type of myth tells how natural

phenomena came to be on Earth (how
stars were made, how mountains were

formed, etc.)


Origin Myth

Archetypes

●

A widely use literary technique in the Native American
myth is an archetype.


●

An archetype is defined as the original model of a
character, setting, or plot.


●

For example, there are character archetypes like the Jesus
archetype, the devil archetype, and the trickster
archetype. (explain each)


●

Some setting archetypes could be the Garden of Eden
archetype, Heaven archetype, or the Hades archetype.
(explain each)


●

A plot archetype could be the Journey archetype.
(explain)