This week we continued to read stories from the Native
American unit. I read the Indian FairyTales unit this unit which I thought was particularly interesting. These past two weeks reading from the native American
selections has been an intriguing reading experience. I thought that the way the two units could
clearly relate to one another was particularly interesting.
American Indians were very different across various
tribes. Their ways of life, travel,
housing, social structure, and other means of societial measure differed in
vast ways. However, one observable
phenomenon across all tribes is the respect they show for nature and life.
In my two Native American story units I could observe a
clear correlation between the storytelling and nature. The animals, the seasons, crops, plants, and
all aspects of nature were present in every single section of my units. It was clear that the stories being told
relied on the aspect of nature and life surrounding the indians as a medium to
pass on knowledge and tell stories. The
emphasis on life around them is an example of the reverence they paid to the
natural world and the elements.
I think that this kind of respect is something that could be
shown on a greater level in our society.
We rarely tell stories that directly incorporate or emphasize the
natural world around us. The only modern
story I can think of that really ties in the Earth is the Lorax by Dr.
Suess. In the Lorax Dr. Suess actually
talks about how if we don’t start to care about the world around us we could
end up in quite the predicament. I think
we have gotten so used to just having the world, having trees, having air that
we take it for granted. However, if we
don’t start to take responsibility and care for the world we live in? Things could drastically change for the
worst.
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| The Lorax By: Dr. Suess Image from Wikipedia |
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