Introduction
To understand the modern tendencies in the national culture, it is necessary to refer to the tradition. The discussion of the basic elements of the Indian folklore in Canada is important to provide a detailed examination of the Canadian culture in relation to the aboriginal people’s oral traditions. The Indian folklore in Canada is the part of the large folklore heritage of the nation, and it is important to state that the Indian folklore or oral tradition still develops in the aboriginal communities.
Background and Significance: Thesis Statement
In spite of the fact that the Indian folklore in Canada can be characterized with references to the main features typical for the North American Indians’ oral tradition and folklore, such basic elements of the Canadian Indian folklore as the focus on the animal nature of persons, the magic as the basic component of the tradition, the origin myths, and the mystic hero’s journey require the detailed examination, and the analysis of these elements of the Indian folklore in Canada is important to conclude about the progress of the modern aboriginal folklore in the North American communities.
To answer the main research question about the specific elements of the Indian folklore in Canada which distinguishes it among the other North American Indian oral traditions and about the role of the folklore for the modern aboriginal folklore, it is necessary to review the existed literature on the topic while focusing on the information important in relation to the research frames and to interview the representatives of the modern aboriginal Indian communities.
The importance of the research is based on the necessity to compare and contrast the elements of the Canadian Indian folklore and the other North American Indian oral traditions in order to discuss the role of the Indian folklore for the national culture.
Literature Review
The North American Indians’ folklore tradition played an important role in forming the particular features of the local folklore developed by Indians in Canada (Toelken 12-18).
However, the Canadian Indians’ oral tradition is characterized by definite myths and folk tales which are focused on describing the relations of humans and nature, the relations of humans and animals, the relations of people with the magic, the development of the animal nature in people, and the nature of the trickster.
Furthermore, the Indians in Canada are inclined to compose specific myths about the heroes’ journeys, and these myths form the background for the perception of the hero in the aboriginal cultures of the Indian communities (Greenhill and Narvaez 117-122).
Being influenced by the general aspects of the North American Indians’ folklore tradition, the Indian oral myths and legends which can be heard in the communities in Canada are unique because of the specific symbols, and they form the cultural heritage of the North American populations (Boas 376-378). Furthermore, many contacts with the white population also affect the modern folklore of the Indians in Canada.
Research Design and Methods
To complete the research, it is necessary to review the existed literature on the topic and to conduct the survey with the help of questionnaires used for interviews with the aboriginal people. The selected interviewee is the representative of the Canadian Indian community who will be asked to answer the questions about the most spread myths in the community, the role of these myths on the people’s everyday life, and the role of the Indian folklore in forming the national culture.
Ethics Review
To conduct the interview, it is necessary to refer to the interviewee’s privacy and to the issue of confidentiality. The interview should be conducted according to the informed-consent principles to address the ethical issues. The interviewee should be informed about the purpose and details of the research.
Annotated Bibliography
Boas, Franz. “Mythology and Folk-Tales of the North American Indians”. The Journal of American Folklore 27.106 (1914): 374-410. Print.
In the article, Boas focuses on the elements of the North American Indians’ folklore tradition and analyses typical myths and folk tales which are repeated during the centuries as legends and mythological stories forming the cultural heritage of the North American populations.
The article is useful for the current research because the author discusses the folklore tradition of such aboriginal people as Indians in general, with references to the spread of tradition not only in the USA but also in Canada.
Greenhill, Pauline, and Peter Narvaez. “Introduction: Folklore in Canada”. Journal of American Folklore 115.456 (2002): 116-123. Print.
The article by Greenhill and Narvaez is the detailed introduction to the issues of the Journal of American Folklore associated with the history and culture of Canada.
The authors review the main aspects of the Canadian folklore in detail along with referring to the Indians folklore heritage. This information is important to develop the framework for the current research along with determining the main issues to discuss in the paper.
Toelken, Barre. Native American Oral Traditions: Collaboration and Tradition. USA: Utah State University Press, 2001. Print.
Tolkien’s book is a good source of the oral texts which can be discussed as the examples of the Native American Indians’ folklore. The author of the book also provides necessary commentary for the texts, explaining their meaning and cultural significance. The source is important to refer to the primary texts and discuss the problem of the Indians’ folklore from the narrow perspective.
Works Cited
Boas, Franz. “Mythology and Folk-Tales of the North American Indians”. The Journal of American Folklore 27.106 (1914): 374-410. Print.
Greenhill, Pauline, and Peter Narvaez. “Introduction: Folklore in Canada”. Journal of American Folklore 115.456 (2002): 116-123. Print.
Toelken, Barre. Native American Oral Traditions: Collaboration and Tradition. USA: Utah State University Press, 2001. Print.