Sacred Performance Among Hunter-Gatherers

Reading: Native American myths: the Tsimshian tale of the Theft of light and the Oglala Sun Dance (Blackboard: Gill.pdf)

Reading: Nyau masks: mythic reenactment and cultural adjustment (Blackboard: Curran.pdf).

Writing: Read HW guidelines linked here. Then respond to ONE of the following prompts. Keep your response short: no more than three sentences. Post your comment as a reply under the appropriate heading in the comments section:

1. In the Tsimshian story of the theft of light, we learn how Giant/Raven brought daylight to the lower world. Do you get the sense that bringing daylight down from the heavens was Giant’s goal? Or was it an unintended consequence? Point to a key plot detail as justification for your answer.
2. On p33 of his book, Sam Gill introduces Thomas Tyon’s account of the Oglala Sun Dance by claiming that rituals shape time and space. Point to one moment in this Oglala rite that strikes you as contributing to the transformation of everyday time and space into a special, indeed sacred time and space.
3. What do Nyau masks and ritual transform, according to Douglas Curran’s article? Name one thing in particular and explain briefly if necessary.