Becoming America - An Exploration of American Literature from Precolonial to Post-Revolution, 2018a

BECOMING AMERICA
PRE- AND EARLY COLONIAL LITERATURE
He fairly shook with joy at the thought, so that he fell over backward and could not
get on his feet again, but had to wriggle o on his back, as the Grubworm has done
ever since.
When the plants, who were friendly to man, heard what had been done by the
animals, they determined to defeat their evil designs. Each tree, shrub, and herb,
down even to the grasses and mosses, agreed to furnish a remedy for some one of
the diseases named, and each said: “I shall appear to help man when he calls upon
me in his need.” Thus did medicine originate, and the plants, every one of which
has its use if we only knew it, furnish the antidote to counteract the evil wrought
by the revengeful animals. When the doctor is in doubt what treatment to apply
for the relief of a patient, the spirit of the plant suggests to him the proper remedy.
1.3.6 Thanksgiving Address (Haudenosaunee (Iroquois))
https://americanindian.si.edu/environment/pdf/01_02_Thanksgiving_Address.pdf
1.3.7 The Arrival of the Whites (Lenape (Delaware))
https://www.americanheritage.com/content/native-americans-rst-view-whites-shore
1.3.8 The Coming of the Whiteman Revealed: Dream of the
White Robe and Floating Island (Micmac)
When there were no people in this country but Indians, and before they knew
of any others, a young woman had a singular dream. She dreamed that a small
island came oating in towards the land, with tall trees on it and living beings,
and amongst others a young man dressed in rabbit-skin garments. Next day she
interpreted her dream and sought for an interpretation. it was the custom in
those days, when any one had a remarkable dream, to consult the wise men and
especially the magicians and soothsayers. These pondered over the girl’s dream,
but they could make nothing of it; but next day an event occurred that explained it
all. Getting up in the morning, what should they see but a singular little island, as
they took it to be, which had drifted near to land, and had become stationery there.
There were trees on it, and branches to the trees, on which a number of bears, as
they took them to be, were crawling about. They all seized their bows and arrows
and spears and rushed down to the shore, intending to shoot the bears. What was
their surprise to nd that these supposed bears were men, and that some of them
were lowering down into the water a very singular constructed canoe, into which
several of them jumped and paddled ashore. Among them was a man dressed in
white—a priest with his white stole on, who came towards them making signed of
friendliness, raising his hand towards heaven and addressing them in an earnest
manner, but in a language which they could not understand. The girl was now
questioned respecting her dream. “was it such an island as this that she had seen?
was this the man?” She armed that they were indeed the same. Some of them,
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