MYTHOLOGY AND STORYTELLING IN AMERICAN INDIAN CULTURES Myths have always been part of the lifeblood of American Indian cultures The myths were passed on as oral stories meaning they were spoken rather than written The stories were used to teach lessons about the tribe's customs history and spiritual beliefs 4
Langitude wet e Gregurid Po 4 3 A West Crent IT 1 ANTICO Echiar At Ap Indian Tribes NORTH AMERICA advut 16oed along the Atlanties aleut 800 A D vesorerdir hil Title Chwa Ces r s NEKI 3 DEC 1971 THE BIG 10 TRIBES There are hundreds of American Indian tribes but the ten largest in the United States are the Navajo Cherokee Sioux Chippewa Choctaw Apache Pueblo Iroquois Creek Blackfeet and
The tribes have many kinds of stories Some of the stories feature god like creators Others feature heroes Many American Indian myths include talking animals or humans who possess animal like qualities SACRED ANIMALS Most American Indians believe everything in nature has a soul and is sacred 6
Each tribe has its own myths but some types of stories are found in nearly every American Indian tribe Some common story types across tribes include creation myths how and why stories trickster tales and hero myths THE FIRST MEETING OF THE NEW WORLD AND THE OLD The first tribe Christopher Columbus encountered in the New World was the Taino part of the Arawaks The Arawak Indians lived in South America and Carribbean the
