When Grizzlies Walked Upright Analysis

Native American Literature Red Cloud the Chief of the Oglala Lake once said, “They made many promises, but they kept only one. They promised to take our land and they did.” He speaks of the Europeans who invaded, slaughter, and raped the Native American people to near extinction. With all that destruction and chaos they were left with very little of their culture. Every story was told through their ancestors, but without them there to tell the story most of it was lost. That loss reflects in just about every story that remains today, such as, “When Grizzlies Walked Upright”, “The Earth On Turtle's Back”, “Smoke Signals”, and “Museum Indians”. Nature plays an important role in all Native American literature. In the story,“When Grizzlies Walked Upright”, it not only contains the creation of the Modoc tribe, but also beavers, grizzly bears,

Along the way of bettering Power’s life she had lost her culture, and still mourns its’ loss. The message of that story is even though she lost her heritage doesn’t mean she will stop looking for it, nor will she ever truly be without it. Although, “Earth On Turtle’s Back” is a creation myth it is alike “Museum Indians” in the sense that there was a sacrifice for the greater good. In “Earth On Turtle’s Back” a Muskrat risks its’ life to save the life of the Chief of Skyland’s wife. The Chief of Skyland’s Wife had fallen through the sky and landed on a world full of water. She couldn’t swim well, so the animals tried to grab land from the bottom of the ocean. Many tried, but all failed except for the Muskrat who drove deep down and brought up earth when it was near dead. The woman put it on the back of the turtle along with some seeds she grabbed before she fell and the Earth was created. Her falling through, leaving her husband behind, and the muskrat’s determination created the world as we know