Native-American Tales

I enjoy reading Native-American stories more than European tales. The Native-American tales introduce conflict, but the resolution involves cooperation and spiritual elements of nature and the heart. The Native-American tales we read also do not include violent accounts like the European tales do. I get tired of the European fairy tale tropes so reading stories from the Native-Americans is very refreshing. In addition, I really love how women are depicted. For example in “How Men and Women Got Together” the women are illustrated as not only beautiful, but intelligent and resourceful. “What a good life they’re having! They have fine tipis made of tanned buffalo hide, while we men have only brush shelters…And look what fine clothes they wear…Really I made a mistake putting the women so far away from us” (68). Not to mention, love is represented in a true pure form, also from “How Men and Women Got Together”, “The women quilled and tanned for the men. Then the men hunted for the women. Then there was love. Then there was happiness. Then there was marriage. Then there were children” (72).  The whimsical and harmonious aspects of Native-American tales makes me smile. I genuinely love reading these tales.