| Basic Concepts: Early American Indian
Literature
"American Indian Literature" is a misnomer, since "literature," as it is defined conventionally, flowers only in the twentieth century. In the nineteenth century and earlier, indigenous narrative belongs almost exclusively to the oral tradition, featuring the passing along of sacred tales, ritual language, and legends from generation to generation over centuries. . Very little was recorded of Indian speeches, stories, or oral ritual in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Interest in collecting Indian traditional narrative evolved slowly in the nineteenth century as more and more European settlers and their progeny moved westward. Much more attention is now being given to the recovery and transmission of early Indian records and communications. . Online Connections For a comprehensive library of electronic texts of early Indian literature, see "Native American Texts." Scroll down to "Traditional American Indian Texts." . Our Course Connections See the selections in "The Native American Heritage: Tales and Poetry." .  |