"American Indian Myths and Legends," Response (4)

After completing this particular reading, I found myself nothing short of both pleased and enlightened. One aspect of this excerpt that justifies my reaction lies in the introduction. From just a few smooth- written pages on the history of Native Americans, I was able to gather a lot of new information regarding the culture of the group, and how it tied in to the myths that were told. For instance, I was surprised to learn that the Indians view the Earth in a much different lens then that of our modern American society. In their eyes, elements that we take for granted such as pebbles are equally alive, and play both a crucial role in the world as in their folklore. As for the myths presented here, the concepts mentioned in the Introduction certainly play a key role in the stories themselves. Take "When Grizzlies Walked Upright," for example. It is described in detail how the Sky God creates nature, what with stepping on snow to create rivers or blowing on leaves to create birds. Nature plays a poignant role, not only in this story but in all Native American Folklore, which definitely adds a unique layer to otherwise common legends. In my opinion, Native American folklore could be the most interesting of all the ones we've touched upon, and this probably has a lot to do with the rich culture surrounding the earliest Americans. The excerpt was an enjoyable read, and I would be interested I reading more.