Wednesday, November 16, 2011

CALIFORNIA SONGS, DANCES, MYTHS

THE NATIVE AMERICAN LEGENDS,DANCES, AND ARTS WERE ALL PART OF THEIR LIFE. FOUNDATION IS WHAT GARY SNYDER CALLS A CULTURE OF PLACE. THESE EXPRESSIONS NOT ONLY FEED HUMAN SPIRITS BUT ALSO INSTRUCTED PEOPLE OF IN THE RIGHT AND WRONG BEHAVIOR AND HOW THEY WERE OBLIGATED TO NATURE. MANY SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES WERE CONNECTED DIRECTLY WITH WITH THE NATURAL RESOURCES.

IMPORTANT EVENTS IN THE NATURAL WORLD - EACH OF THE RETURN OF AN IMPORTANT PLANT, ANIMAL FOOD WERE MARKED BY SONGS, CEREMONIES, STORIES. THE ANCIENT MAIDU CELEBRATED THE GUEESE IN A GOOSE DANCE. THE KASHAYA POMO HELD CEREMONIES FOR THE RIPENING OF WILD STRAWBERRIES. THE MAIDU HONORED THE COMING OF CLOVER. OTHER RITUALS WERE HELD WHEN CERTAIN FOODS WERE HARVESTED. THE SIERRA MIWOK HELD A FEAST TO EXPRESS HOPE FOR THE ACORN ABUNDANCE. YOKUT SHAMANS CONDUCTED SPECIAL CROP PROPHESY DANCES TO TELL THEM WHAT KINDS OF SEEDS OR ACORN WOULD COME. THEY HAD COMMUNITY RITUALS WHEN NATIVE PEOPLE HUMMBLED THEMSELVES. NO MORE POWER FORCES CONTROLLED THEIR SEASONAL RYTHMS OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS.

THE PLANTS FIGURED PROMINENTLY IN THEIR FOLKLORE , AND THIS IS IN THERE FOLKLORE, AND THIS IS FIGURED PROMINANTLY IN THEIR FOLKORE. IT INFLUENCED HUNTING AND GATHERING BEHAVIOR. IN A POMO MYTH , MEYRRUMIDA, THE OLD MAN, TOLD THE FIRST PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT FOOD TO EAT. HERE YOU WILL EAT THIS KIND OF FOOD, PLUCKING SOME CLOVER. THE PEOPLE FOLLOWED HIM AND ATE. HE DUG UP SOME POTATOES. THESE YOU WILL ALSO EAT. HE FOUND SOME ACORNS IN A CREEK. YOU WILL GATHER THESE TO EAT MUSH.. MOST HAD LEGENDS THAT TOLD OF CONSEQUENCES THAT WOULD OCCUR IF TRHEY VIOLATED NATURAL LAWS. IN ANOTHER POMO LEGEND, AFTER THE PEOPLE HAD VIOLATED THE MARRIAGE , HUNTING, AND FISHING LAWS, MARUMDA SENT A WILD FIRE OVER THE ENTIRE EARTH.. LEGENDS ABOUT DESTRUCTIVE FIRES REFLECT THE ALMOST UNIVERSAL BELIEF AMONG CALIFORNIA TRIBES. THESE WERE A PUNISHMENT FOR SERIOUS VIOLATION OF SOCIAL RULES.

KAT ANDERSON

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