The Oneida Creation Story (Sources of American Indian Oral Literature) [Paperback]

Demus Elm (Author), Harvey Antone (Author), Floyd G. Lounsbury (Translator), Bryan Gick (Translator)

Book Description

Series: Sources of American Indian Oral Literature | Publication Date: June 1, 2000

The Oneida Creation Story is the oldest tradition of the Onyota’aka (People of the Standing Stone) and is one of the greatest pieces of oral literature of Native North America. Ancient elements of Iroquoian cosmology are the heart of the saga: Sky-world, the fall of Sky-woman, the creation of Earth upon Turtle’s back, and the creation of mankind and early society by the twins. Various versions have been passed down from generation to generation, but the story has never before been published in the Oneida language. The Oneida Creation Story makes this majestic and beautiful story available in both Oneida and English for the first time. This special bilingual edition also features earlier translated versions of the Creation Story, a discussion of its cultural and historical contexts by Oneida Indian historian Anthony Wonderley, and lexicons cross-referenced to the story.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This is the first time that the Oneida Creation Story, perhaps the most completely documented representation of human and world origins in North America, has been simultaneously reproduced in English and the Oneida language. This account is one of a number of versions in which the basic ancient and traditional elements of this tale are preserved. Key elements of Iroquoian cosmology include the Sky-World, the fall of Sky-Woman and her landing on Turtle's back, the origins of humankind and society, and the moral battles between the brother Twins. The book's history of the research on the Oneida Creation Story, which documents temporal changes in format and plot, is highly useful, and the editors include three lexicons organized by phrase, word, and stem. An appendix provides two additional early English versions of the Oneida text. Lounsbury (Oneida Verb Morphology) and Gick (linguistics, Univ. of British Columbia) have done a great service to Oneida linguistic studies, the discipline of linguistics, and, most importantly, the efforts to preserve the Oneida language.DJohn E. Dockall, Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"This exemplary work of scholarship, attractively produced in a maximally useful format, is an important contribution to Iroquoian linguistic studies that will appeal to students and faculty in linguistics, anthropology, folklore, and history, as well as to a general audience interested in American Indians."—Choice

(Choice )

"This is the first time that the Oneida Creation Story, perhaps the most completely documented representation of human and world origins in North America, has been simultaneously reproduced in English and the Oneida language. . . . Lounsbury (Oneida Verb Morhology) and Gick (linguistics, Univ. of British Columbia) have done a great service to Oneida linguistic studies, the discipline of linguistics, and, most importantly, the efforts to preserve the Oneida language."—Library Journal

(Library Journal )

"This major study of a specific and essential Oneida text, including numerous aspects of linguistic analysis, includes references to the forty earlier translated versions of various Iroquoian creation stories."—Marshall Joseph Becker, Journal of American Folklore

(Journal of American Folklore )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 174 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803267428
• ISBN-13: 978-0803267428
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,100,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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