Broadly speaking, Lawrence Ellis' research interests are in Native American oral traditions, North American verbal and performative lore, and world folklore. In past publications and conference presentations, he has concentrated on the myths, legends, and folktales of the Creek Indian peoples of Oklahoma and the southeastern United States, looking at oral lore collected by both Native American and non-Native American scholars. Characters and motifs that he finds especially interesting in these narratives are the rabbit trickster, the orphan culture hero, the tie snake/horned serpent, and the mythic unification of clans and tribes through the sharing of medicines and sacred fires.