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Hsc300 Unit 2

Decent Essays

Unit 2 Essay
Question 1 As mentioned by Calloway in the beginning of the “Documents” section, it is important to consider that historians often disregard stories due to their lack of understanding and that these stories can provide insight into the lives of individuals who lived through certain times in history. As pointed out by Leslie Marmon Silko, origin stories should not be taken as fact. I think that viewpoint supports the idea of possible migrations. While the Navajo creation story of four worlds may not be completely factual, I do think it has its merits. For example, the text states that there are only pieces of Navajo history. On the other hand, the Navajo stories that are told seem to date back further and even include specific geographic features. The Abalone Shell Mountain, or San Francisco Peaks, mentioned in stories about Dinétah provides a very specific location for the Native homeland. This story includes details and dates back further than anthropological and historical accounts can. So, while some of the details may be more for the sense of commonality and identity, it could very likely have some fact in terms of location. …show more content…

For example, while the Iroquois story of the World on the Turtle’s Back has a long history of being passed down, it does not seem to have any specifics for location. Therefore, it could be argued that this story fits in with idea of migration because it does not specify a distinct location. While it cannot be said with certainty, some creation stories may be interpreted to support anthropologic migration theories. On the other hand, some creation stories date tens of thousands of years back and name specific locations that do not support these migration theories. However, these stories themselves do not explicitly accept or deny the idea that migration occurred. In general, I believe there can be more research done before a definitive answer can be

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