Stories like "The Forgotten Ear of Corn" helped Native American communities preserve their culture by teaching important lessons about respecting nature and food. They explained why it is important to gather every part of the corn, so nothing goes to waste, which shows a deep connection to their traditions and beliefs. These tales remind people of their history and values, making sure that future generations understand how to live in harmony with the world around them.
Use the story to complete the activity.
The Forgotten Ear of Corn
An Arikara woman was once gathering corn from the field to store away for winter use. She passed from stalk to stalk, tearing off the ears and dropping them into her folded robe. When all was gathered she started to go, when she heard a faint voice, like a child's, weeping and calling:
"Oh, do not leave me! Do not go away without me."
The woman was astonished. "What child can that be?" she asked herself. "What babe can be lost in the cornfield?"
She set down her robe in which she had tied up her corn, and went back to search; but she found nothing.
As she started away she heard the voice again:
"Oh, do not leave me. Do not go away without me."
She searched for a long time. At last in one corner of the field, hidden under the leaves of the stalks, she found one little ear of corn. This it was that had been crying, and this is why all Indian women have since garnered their corn crop very carefully, so that the succulent food product should not even to the last small nubbin be neglected or wasted, and thus displease the Great Mystery.
Write one to two sentences explaining how stories like The Forgotten Ear of Corn helped Native American communities preserve their culture.
Write it in 2 to 3 complete sentences. Write it like a 10 year old wrote it with formal language
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