Reading Notes: Cherokee (Part B)

Reading Notes of the Cherokee Myths (Part B)

Turtle (photo link)

The Terrapin's Escape from the Wolves would be a really good story to retell! It offers a good amount of detail, it's lengthy and it would be easy to change up the characters. I like the overall story and how it is presented, but I would be able to cut it down a bit to be more concise and clear.

The Race between the Crane and the Hummingbird would be a good story to retell, but from the Turle and the Hare perspective (round 2!) It a story that readers will know, but can share another story about the characters.

The HuHu Gets Married is a goos story to use to retell because it is full of dialogue and easy to retell. But it doesn't have a whole lot of excitement to it, maybe find a way to provide more excitement. It does have a good amount of dialogue though to provide the readers the ability to connect with one character or another.

Âgän-uni'tsï's Search for the Uktena is a lengthy story worth retelling. There would need to be a lot to note in the author's note or in a preface of the story so that the readers are able to engage and connect more without having to do outside research for understanding of the context. The Red Man and the Uktena would be an interesting twist or way to build upon the previous story.

Title: Myths of the Cherokee

Author: James Mooney

Link to various readings

Reading Notes: Cherokee (Part A)

Reading Notes over Cherokee readings (Part A)

I choose this section because I have Cherokee blood. Enough to actually have a registered Native American Indian Card and such that gets me to the clinic and what not. I seldom ever use it or talk about my ties to the Cherokee tribe because I'm not super involved with the nation. So I figured this would be a good week to learn more about the types of stories they share.

Use the story of the water beetle, but make it about a water spider that cascades across the surface of the water. Or use the story of the water beetle and introduce a new character (the water spider).
The water spider could be his companion in creating and forming earth. Think of them using the sun as a way to dry the mud quicker and moving it outward to prevent scorching.

The story of the Pleiades and the Pine would be good. Its about ornery boys who trouble their mothers end up leaving to become stars, but one is sent below the earth and sprouts into a pine. It will be tricky to adapt this story, but I do like the nature of it and the theme.

The story of the sun and the moon would be a good add in to the first story of the creation of earth and what not. It would be a good addition because it is the creation of all things and it's not really detailed enough with characters to retell, unless I was able to add more to the story.

A couple of these stories had a lot of "origins of" and what not about how things were created. The best way to do the next blog is to find some fun things to add to the creation of the earth and what not. It'll provide a cultural experience for readers and the more insightful understanding of the Cherokee Nation.

Title: Myths of the Cherokee
Author: James Mooney
Link to the various stories