Contents
PREFACE xvii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xxix
Beginnings to 1820
INTRODUCTION 3
TIMELINE 26
NATIVE AMERICAN ORAL LITERATURE 29
STORIES OF THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD 31
The Iroquois Creation story 31
The Navajo Creation Story 35
Hajiinei (The emergence) 36
TRICKSTER TALES 43
From The Winnebago Trickster Cycle (Edited by Paul Radin) 43
ORATORY 47
From The World Encompassed by Sir Francis Drake 47
Powhatan's discourse of peace and war 52
King Philip's speech 53
POETRY 54
Cherokee War song 55
Lenape war song 57
Two cherokee songs of friendship 57
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS (1451-1506) 58
Letter of discovery (February 15, 1493) 59
From letter to Ferdinand and Isabella regarding the fourth voyage
(July 7, 1503) 64