Reading Notes: Blackfeet Indian Stories Part A

Reading Notes

Blackfeet Indian Stories Part A

I have taken a great deal of Native American courses at the University of Oklahoma, but I've never had to read any of the myth stories they had to offer based on tribe, lore, or region. This unit had plenty of different story types that varied in length and plot. Something about it that has been different than any other story I've read in this class so far is that it gives me that nostalgic storytelling method that I thought of as a child. All of the stories end with a moral lesson that can be learned throughout the tale, even if that moral lesson isn't necessarily spoken out loud. It was effortless to follow and understand for me, which helped me process each story separately. I also like that in the beginning, they were all separate stories instead of one continuous story separated by website pages. Everything was sweet, and to the point, so I didn't have to try and connect multiple pieces together that I may have forgotten early on. There is nothing wrong with continued stories, it's just helpful to have a bit of a break between reading those types or a type like this. Something else I love is that each creature from the stories used is personified to have human-like characteristics; they can converse naturally with different human characters and help to develop the story due to their influence. There is also a lot of storytelling that revolves around human relationships, specifically the connection between a man and wife. It doesn't just focus on the love and devotion portions of a marriage, but it also makes efforts to speak on the deceit and evils that can stem from it as well. Overall, I really enjoyed it and I can't wait to read the rest of this unit!


Image: Winter Wolf (Pixabay)
Bibliography: Blackfeet Indian Stories by George Bird Grinnell (Un-Textbook)