Native American Literature

How Selfishness was Rewarded
(Tlingit) retold by
S. E. Schlosser

"Then his old mother came to her son very early one morning and told him a sad and cruel story. The old mother had awakened the night before from a dream of cooked fish to smell the reality in the air. She opened her old eyes and saw a fish roasting on a small, flickering fire. The starving old mother saw her son's wife crouched near the fire and she heard the girl eagerly chewing the hot fish. The old mother cried out to her son's wife to give her a morsel, but the girl was selfish and told the old woman that the fish she smelled was just a dream. When the old mother begged for just a single bite of fish, the girl denied her request. The old woman kept up her cries until the selfish girl took the bare bones from the last fish and thrust them into the old woman's hands, burning her flesh. Then the old mother wept bitter tears and retreated back to her corner. When he heard his mother's story, the warrior cautioned her to say nothing to his wife.That night, when she thought everyone lay sleeping, the young wife crept down to the shore and summoned a school of herring to the shore using a magic spell. She swept two of the largest fish into her basket and took them back to the lodge to cook. The young girl left the lodge and walked casually toward the woods. As soon as she was out of sight, she took to her heels, running as fast as she could toward the mountains, fearful of her husband's wrath. By the time the young warrior reached the boulder, the girl's transformation was complete. He found himself face to face with a small owl that gazed up at him with his wife's large, pleading eyes.
http://www.americanfolklore.net/folktales/ak2.html

Reflection:

"How Selfishness was Rewarded" is the passage chosen to represent some of the views and problems that existed between the native americans and the immigrants. Both having very different beliefs and life styles. They had to work and hunt for food. Often it came to every man for himself, as portrayed in the passage. I am sure that both Native Americans and the Immigrants had their own selfish ways, it does not always pay off. Selfishness is not always rewarded. In todays world I see people all the time do selfish things and most of the time something bad always happens to them in return.

Dear Diary,

Who would want to be selfish in the first place? This place called America sounds like a large and adventerous place to live. I have heard many interesting stories about how the Native Americans live side by side with many types of people. Some they get along with and some they don't. My uncle tom says the Native Americans are a reasonable, unselfish group of people. They seem to mind their business and try to teach their children the same values. You shouldn't treat others any different than you would want to be treated yourself. My family says I will witness and experience many forms of prejudice and selfishness when I get to America. I will try to treat all people equal.