Storytelling falls under the umbrella of broader oral traditions and can take either the form of oral history or oral tradition. Ĭurrently, Indigenous groups are using storytelling to reclaim their histories, push back against colonial narratives, and draw attention to issues such as environmental protection, often through indigenous collaboration Background Terminology According to Bastion and Michaels, colonialism, through the spread of disease and disenfranchisement, reduced the indigenous populations of North America, though their stories sustained. Oral traditions educated younger generations and maintained indigenous social, spiritual, and cultural systems for ten thousand years. Some common themes of oral traditions include respect for elders, origins, and respect for the environment. Though different Indigenous cultures have different oral traditions, across the board Indigenous peoples in North America interpret oral traditions similarly because they encode basic values that are consistent across cultures. These stories may reflect social and physical environments that existed in preservation eras and long before, thus giving present-day listeners insight into past realities.” Traditional Native stories have been handed down within a tribe for centuries and often have extremely ancient origins. “Stories provide a means by which American Indians can identify and reconnect with ancient tribal traditions. Due to colonialism, it made it hard to keep traditions, so the only way that it could be taught is through stories.
Storytelling is an attempt to reinforce values and beliefs and has a chance for future generations to have a connection to their ancestral roots through stories. It’s beneficial for future families with storytelling because they will be able to continue the ways that were once used and use stories as a way to learn traditional lifestyles and practices. Storytelling offers an opportunity to continue traditions by passing down stories through oral and written ways. Today, Indigenous storytelling is part of the broader indigenous process of building and transmitting indigenous knowledge.
Since the dawn of human history, oral stories have been used to understand the reasons behind human existence. Falling under the banner of oral tradition, it can take many different forms that serve to teach, remember, and engage Indigenous history and culture. Indigenous cultures in North America engage in storytelling about morality, origin, and education as a form of cultural maintenance, expression, and activism.
0 kommentar(er)
