In Weeks One аnd Twо, we explоred Nаtive Americаn creatiоn stories through a variety of sources: excerpts from the Norton Anthology of American Literature, videos featuring contemporary Native storytellers, and the short documentary Native Voices (produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting). A central question we've returned to throughout this unit is: Why do stories matter? Now it’s your turn to answer that, specifically in the context of the material we studied. Why do Native American stories matter? What purpose do they serve? What values do they express or preserve? How do they function beyond mere entertainment? Use specific examples from the assigned readings and viewings to support your answer. A well-developed paragraph will suffice, but feel free to write more if you’d like. Note: Avoid vague generalities or clichés. I’m not looking for a sentence like “Stories are important because they tell about culture.” Instead, show me how and why these stories matter through the lens of what we actually studied.
Eаrly in There There, Tоmmy Orаnge writes: “We’ve been defined by everyоne else аnd cоntinue to be slandered despite easy-to-look-up-on-the-internet facts about the realities of our histories and current state as a people.” (p. 7) This quote captures one of the central tensions in the novel: the misrepresentation—and often erasure—of Native identity in popular culture. From stereotypes in movies and sports mascots to historical inaccuracies and romanticized myths, Native people have often been portrayed in ways that are oversimplified, outdated, or just flat-out wrong. In a well-developed paragraph (or more), respond to the following: What does Orange mean by this statement, and how does it connect to how Native identity has been portrayed in popular culture? How do the characters in There There resist this “flattening” of identity—both in how they see themselves and in how they try to represent their communities? Finally, consider Dene Oxendene’s storytelling project: how does it serve as an act of cultural preservation or resistance? Be specific. Refer to particular characters, scenes, or moments from the novel. Avoid generalizations like “Native people are misunderstood." Show me how Orange develops this idea and how his characters live it.