Native American Literature

Native American Writings

By: Caroline Waters

While the Puritans and Southern Gentleman were busy publishing their stories Native American’s were still relying on oral tradition to tell their stories. The Native American culture had a complex and diverse group of arts. The literary sides to the arts were told through generations of storytellers who recited stories and poems from past generations. In the Native American society these stories and poems were a way of entertainment and also a way to educated and communicate values to their younger generations. Two of the most popular stories in Native American history are Grandmother Spider Steals the Sun and Coyote Finishes His Work. In both of these stories have humor, seriousness, earthiness and abstract thought. These stories are not meant to just be a cute little stories but are to teach lessons and morals to the younger generations of Native Americans.

The story Grandmother Spider Steals the Sun is a children’s tale that demonstrates courage and being thorough. The first animal that tries to go steal the sun from the other side of the world did not think through his plan and ended up with his tail burnt off. The second animal, a buzzard, thought he could simply steal the light and put it on his head without being burnt. He was sadly wrong and ended up being bald for the rest of his life. Finally the Grandmother spider thought through a plan that was sure to work. First she made a thick clay pot that would be used to carry the sun and then she spun a web across the world. Since she was so tiny no one on that side of the world saw her and she was able to steal the sun. From the Grandmother’s courageous actions the  people on her side of the world now had light. The Grandmother’s actions demonstrate courage and being thorough to young children through a short and entertaining story.

    The story Coyote Finishes His Work is about the Indian’s religious beliefs. In the story their god sent down Coyote to help the people of the world. The Coyote went around teaching the people their languages, he killed bad spirits, he put the Indians in tribes all over the world, he taught them how to eat, hunt and fish and many other things. One day their god believed that all of Coyote’s work was done and that it was time for him to go so he disguised himself as an old man and approached Coyote. The old man told Coyote that he would be sent somewhere to live but no one would know who he was or where he lived. The old man explained to the Indians that there would come a time when they would all die and join him on the “other side”. In the future the world would need fixing again and Coyote and the old man would re appear and so would all of the dead. This story shows the many beliefs that the Indian’s had about afterlife.