| Course Overview | Required texts | Sources on Reserve |
| Essays and Final Paper | Course Schedule |
Course Overview: In this course, we will read, discuss, and analyze some of the literature of the Puget Sound Salish, or Lushootseed, people. We will read the stories in English, but will hear and look at lots of examples of storytellers telling their stories in their native languages.
We will study different kinds of translations of the literature and the benefits of each. Some of the translations (Lushootseed: An Introduction to Puget Salish Narrative Aesthetics) are quite literal and strive to preserve many of the literary patterns and characteristics of the original. Other translations (Haboo) are much freer and conform to the style of English storytelling. We will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of these and other styles of translation and will read others’ discussions of these issues.
We will also read and discuss the different literary genres: the Changer story, the legend, the memoir, the wondertale, and try to discover the intentions and importance of each genre and how each of the texts we read fits into a particular genre.
We will discover how some knowledge of the structure and sounds of the original language of the stories can help in understanding their translations.
In the process of reading and analyzing the literature, we will also be exploring much about the culture of these people and how closely intertwined their language, stories, and culture are. Through a thorough examination of the language and literature of these peoples, you will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for these threatened cultures and languages.
Haboo: Native American Stories from Puget Sound, Translated and edited by Vi Hilbert. University of Washington Press, 1985.
Collins, June M. Valley of the Spirits: The Upper Skagit Indians of Western Washington. American Ethnological Society Monographs, vol. 56. Seattle: University of Washington Press. 1984.
Dundes, Alan, ed. Sacred Narrative: Readings in the Theory of Myth. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Eels, Myron. The Indians of Puget Sound: The Notebooks of Myron Eels. Edited by George B. Castile. Seattle: University of Washington Press. 1985.
Haeberlin, Hermann and Erna Gunther. The Indians of Puget Sound. University of Washington Publications in Anthropology 4, rpt. 1973. Seattle. 1930. (sections: Introduction, Social Life, Religious Life)
Hess, Thomas M. Lushootseed Reader with Introductory Grammar: Vol. 1, Four Stories from Edward Sam. University of Montana Occasional Papers in Linguistics, 11. Missoula. 1995.
Hilbert, Vi and Thom Hess. "Lushootseed: How daylight was stolen." International Journal of American Linguistics Text Series 2:4-32. 1978.
Hymes, Dell. In Vain I Tried to Tell You: Essays in Native American Ethnopoetics. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. 1981.
Jacobs, Melville. The Content and Style of an Oral Literature: Clackamas Chinook Myths and Tales. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 1959.
Jenness, Diamond. The Faith of a Coast Salish Indian. Anthropology in British Columbia Memoir, no. 3. Victoria: British Columbia Provincial Museum. 1955.
Langen, T.C.S. "The Organization of Thought in Lushootseed (Puget Salish) Literature: Martha Lamont’s ‘Mink and Changer,’" MELUS 16.1: 77-93. 1989.
Propp, Vladimir. Morphology of the Folktale. Translated by Laurence Scott, Publications of the American Folklore Society, Bibliographic and Special Series, vol. 9. Indiana University Research Center in Anthropology, Folklore, and Linguistics, Publication 10. Rev. ed., Austin: University of Texas Press. 1968.
Propp, Vladimir. Theory and History of Folklore, edited by Anatoly Liberman, translated by Adriana Y. Martin et al., 101-115; 116-123. Chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8.
Sampson, Chief Martin J. Indians of Skagit County. Skagit County Historical Series, 1. Mount Vernon, Washington: Skagit County Historical Society. 1972.
Sherzer, Joel and Anthony C. Woodbury, eds. Native American Discourse: Poetics and Rhetoric. Studies in Oral and Literate Culture, vol. 13. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1987.
Suttles, Wayne. Coash Salish Essays. Vancouver: Talonbooks; Seattle: University of Washington Press. 1987.
Swann, Brian, ed. Smoothing the Ground: Essays on Native American Oral Literature. Berkeley: University of California Press. 1983.
Swann, Brian. On the Translation of Native American Literatures. Washington , D.C.,: Smithsonian Institution Press. 1992.
Swann, Brian and Arnold Krupat, ed., Recovering the Word: Essays on Native American Literature. Berkeley: University of California Press. 1987. (pages 1-40,
Videos:
Hilbert, Vi. Storytelling at Upper Skagit. Seattle: Lushootseed Research, Inc.
Traditions of the Heart (Features Vi Hilbert’s work and her people. Songs, stories, Skagit scenes.)
Audiotape:
Coyote and Rock. Harper Collins. 1992. (Features Vi Hilbert telling eight stories, some in Lushootseed.)
Course Schedule (Subject
to Change)
¬ Where is this language spoken? Who speaks it? What language family does it belong to? Background on history and culture
& Reading: (1) Eels, Myron. The Indians of Puget Sound: The Notebooks of Myron Eels. (2) Haeberlin, Hermann and Erna Gunther. The Indians of Puget Sound. (3) Sampson, Chief Martin J. Indians of Skagit County.
¬ Discussion of sy« y« hub, or Changer stories, represented in Haboo. Typical characters and their history.
$ Film: Traditions of the Heart.
& Reading: (1) Haboo, ix-xxiii (2) Haboo: Journey to the Sky and Back Down to the Earth, Loon with Deer Was Hunting Ducks with Bow and Arrow, The Basket Ogresses Chase Coyote, Wolf Brothers Kill Elk and Beaver, Boil and Hammer Are Living There, told by Charley Anderson (pp. 3-15) (3) Haboo: Basket Ogress, told by Louise Anderson (pp. 17-22) (4) Haboo: Basket Ogress, told by Agnes James (pp. 42-44)
¬ Discussion of the various styles of translation. More discussion of themes in the sy« y« hub.
& Reading: (1) Haboo: Legend of the Seasons (All Year Round Story), Emma Conrad (pp. 23-32) (2) Haboo: Mink and Changer, told by Emma Conrad (pp. 57-59)
4 Literature presentations: T.C.S Langen "Translating Form in Classical American Indian Literature," In Brian Swann, On the Translation of Native American Literatures. AND selections from Swann, Brian and Arnold Krupat, ed., Recovering the Word: Essays on Native American Literature. Berkeley: University of California Press. 1987.
! Essay 1 due
¬ Discussion of the challenges of translating oral literature.
& Reading: Lushootseed Texts: introductory material (pp. 1-23)
4 Literature presentations: selections from Swann, Brian, ed. Smoothing the Ground: Essays on Native American Oral Literature.
¬ More on the Lushootseed language and its importance in these translations
& Reading: Lushootseed Texts pp. 24-62
4 Literature presentation: introduction from Sherzer, Joel and Anthony C. Woodbury, eds. Native American Discourse: Poetics and Rhetoric.
¬ Discussion of the different genres: sy« y« hub, legend, memoir, folktale/wondertale
$ Film: Storytelling at Upper Skagit
& Reading: Propp, Vladimir. Theory and History of Folklore, selections from chapters 1-3, 5, 6, 8.
4 Literature presentations: selections from Propp, Vladimir. Morphology of the Folktale.
! Essay 2 due
¬ Analyzing the texts
& Reading: Dundes, Alan, ed. Sacred Narrative: Readings in the Theory of Myth.
4 Literature presentation:
¬ Analyzing the texts
& Reading: Langen, T.C.S. "The Organization of Thought in Lushootseed (Puget Salish) Literature: Martha Lamont’s ‘Mink and Changer’"
4 Literature presentation: selections from Swann, Brian, ed. Smoothing the Ground: Essays on Native American Oral Literature. Berkeley: University of California Press. 1983.
! Essay 3 due
¬ Discussion of the traditional separation between non-Native scholars and Native people, and ways in which this can and has been remedied.
& Reading:
4 Presentation: Report on discussion with local native language teachers
! Essay 4 due
& Reading:
4 Literature presentation: Report on discussion with local native language teachers
I want you to work on something that you want to work on. Some of you may be want to focus more on the language while others may want to concentrate more on the literature. Some ideas for each essay are given below, but please talk to me before you begin. Also, talk to me about other ideas you might have that aren’t listed below. We’ll talk about other possible topics throughout the quarter, and I will elaborate on the following as their deadlines approach. These essays should be 5-7 pages.
Essay 1
Using a Haboo story as an example, research and discuss the sy« y« hub and the role it plays/played in Lushootseed culture.
Using a Haboo story as an example, research and discuss some of the themes in the sy« y« hub.
Research and discuss the difference between oral and written literature,
using Lushootseed as your example.
Essay 2
Research and discuss the challenges that the translation of oral literature pose. What are the different ways that people have dealt with these challenges?
Compare and contrast the various genres: sy«
y« hub, legend, memoir, wondertale.
What is the importance of each of these for the Lushootseed people?
Essay 3
Provide your own discussion and analysis of a Lushootseed story.
Essay 4
Discuss why there has been a separation between Native American academic
work and the Native culture, and talk about ways in which non-Native scholars
can better work with the Native peoples to preserve their literature and
culture.
Final Paper
This will be on a topic of your choosing. It should be between 10 and 15 pages and should follow a standard style (Chicago or MLA). You should talk to me about your topic by the fifth week of the quarter. During the last two weeks of the quarter, each of you will give a brief presentation of your paper to the class (if class size allows this). It could be an elaboration of one of your essays or it could be on a new topic.