Overview
Lesson 1: Stories as History and Tradition
Lesson 2: Historical Landscape
Lesson 3: The Treaties and the Reservation Experience
Lesson 4: Historical Figures and their Impact
Lesson 5: Stories of Today
Extending the lesson/References
Standards
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
EL.CM.RE.02—Listen to, read, and understand a wide variety of informational and narrative text.
EL.CM.RE.04—Demonstrate listening comprehension of more complex text through class and/or small group interpretive discussions across the subject areas.
EL.CM.RE.35—Extend ideas presented in primary or secondary sources through original analysis, evaluation, and elaboration.
EL.CM.WR.21—Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories.
CD Segments to Play
Background
We call them “stories” because that’s what our ancestors call them. We don’t use the words “myth” or “legend” because both words have a connotation that the content is not true. Our grandmothers told us that the stories are true. Storytelling is an art.
Because there was not a written language, tribal history, traditions and important events were passed on through stories. In each tribe, certain people were recognized as carriers of stories, and these people were the ones who re-told the stories in order to keep the memories alive.
Each tribe had its own set of “rules” for storytelling. For example, among the central and southern Kalapuya, only certain stories could be told during certain seasons of the year. (Reference the downloaded copy of the Kalapuya Calendar). Some stories were only told by men and others were only told by women. For many tribes, stories and songs are private property. It is considered disrespectful to tell another tribe’s story or sing their song.
Among the Kalapuya, the storytellers insisted on respect.
It was considered disrespectful to stand up when a story was being told. You could become hump-backed: “Bunda-yuu.”
Also, a person must never lay down when a story is being told. Anyone who does will become crippled or, in the case of a child, never grow as tall as they should be.
Storytellers told the children to look at them at all times. To look around indicates the listener is not interested and that is disrespectful.
Some stories were told with certain “signals” to prompt the audience to respond with a sound or a word, just to ensure that the people were paying attention.
Stories are carried on today as reminders of tribal life and to show that the lessons of yesterday are valid in today’s world.
Suggested Strategies
Activities
1. Listen
Have the students listen to the Kalapuya Creation Story online at HYPERLINK “http://archaeologychannel.com/” http://archaeologychannel.com/.
2. Discuss
Ask these questions of the class:
Why was this story told?
What does it explain?
Obtain a copy of Little Red Riding Hood or Peter and the Wolf. Read to the class several sentences that describe the character of the Big Bad Wolf.
How does the image of Quartux compare to the images we know of wolves, i.e. Peter and the Wolf, The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood..? On the basis of discussion, is Quartux, Mother Wolf, a good or a bad figure?
3. Read
Hand out copies of the two Kalapuya stories included in this curriculum unit.
Ask the following questions after the stories are read:
Why are the stories told?
Is there a “creation” of something in the story?
Why is it important to explain how something came to be?
Is the story “true?”
4. Writing exercise
The stories that have been read by the class are examples of the form that the stories take. Although traditionally, it is discouraged to “make up” stories, the following exercise is a way in which imagination comes into play and encourages critical thinking and writing skills
How the deer got its antlers
Why wolf howls
How the skunk got its bad smell
Why crows steal food
How the raccoon got his face mask
Stories should be at least two pages in length and include the introduction of the character and some of the personality of the character. As the story develops, the students should show why the change came about.
Ask several students read their stories to the class.
