New Due Date
July 28, 2011
Black Elk Speaks
When creating a course for students, teachers are often stuck between two worlds: following the required California State Standards and what they believe is necessary for having a diverse and large breadth of materials. In truth, Native American literature is not a California State Content Standard requirement. Blog Questions: what is the significance of studying Native American literature in a survey course of American literature? Why is Black Elk Speaks a good choice to be included in the canon of Native American literature versus another text? Should a course in American literature taught in California include Native American literature? Why or why not?
The study of Native American is very significant in a standard American literature course. I say this because the Native Indians to me are just as important as other American history. Black Elk Speaks is a choice book in terms of Native American literature because it has everything. Black Elk Speaks first is from an actual Native Indian and is depicted in his words of how life was when the Indian life was pure and settled, but Black Elk was living when outsiders started to invade his land. Also many of the Native American customs are included such as having visions and being very spiritual in their religious views. I believe a course on American literature taught in California should include Native American literature because it is such a big piece of American history itself.
ReplyDeleteBy studying Native American literature a person is able to get more insight into the background information of the specific time period. By reading about what the Native Americans were like and how they viewed the actions of the Americans, students can't see the affect of the Americans over the lives of the Native Americans. This all contributes to the overall history of an event because there are always two sides. Black Elk Speaks is a good book to be examined because of its great details of the influence of the Americans over the live of the Native Americans. With this book readers are able to see the emotion and the reasons behind why and how the Native Americans responded to the actions of the Americans. I personally believe it should to a certain extent. In the certain time periods it acts as a good way to compare and contrast the actions the Americans took and the actions of Native Americans. By seeing both sides students will have a more objective look to the overall results of an event.
ReplyDeleteTHe Study of Native American Literature is very important in an American Literature education. Afterall Native Americans did live here and were a major part of United States history. Black Elk Speaks is a good book for this topic becuase it covers a vast majority of what Native American culture was like. It also has the view of a Native American than a book that could be a biography. It explains how they felt; overall a very good book for this topic of literature. A course that includes Native American literature should be in all states not only California. It is a big part of our history and should be taught to generations to come.
ReplyDelete