Alaska Native storytelling

Last updated
Lance Twitchell, a member of the Tlingit tribe, performing a traditional Tlingit song. Salmonstory.JPG
Lance Twitchell, a member of the Tlingit tribe, performing a traditional Tlingit song.

Alaska Native storytelling has been passed down through generations by means of oral presentation. The stories tell life lessons or serve as lessons in heritage. Many different aspects of Arctic life are incorporated into each story, mainly the various animals found in Alaska. Due to the decline in the number of speakers of native languages in Alaska and a change in lifestyle amongst many of the native peoples, oral storytelling has become less common. In recent years many of these stories have been written down, though many people argue that the telling of the story is just as important as the words within.

Contents

History

The beginning of the decline of native speakers of Alaska Native languages can be traced back to the colonization of Alaska by the United States of America. At this time, many native people were separated from their traditional lifestyles and subsequently their native languages. Due to a new-found language barrier, new generations of Alaska Natives could not communicate with their elders and therefore could not inherit all of the traditional stories. [1] New technology has also reinvigorated the art through various webcasts and other online mediums; however the amount of native speakers is still declining. Despite the rapid decline in spoken Alaska Native languages, the tradition of storytelling in Alaska remains alive.

Storytellers

Storytellers pass down myths, legends, and traditions within their tribes. They use inflection in their voices, hand gestures and movement to tell the stories. When performing, tellers wear traditional clothing and other garments. They also bring objects such as carvings, rugs, and pottery to represent the teller's tribe. [2] Tellers do not censor the stories; the children hear exactly the same stories older generations have listened to. [3]

Short tales are often told by anyone who has memorized the story. It may also be told at any time. The stories are retold to the youth to promote proper behavior in their culture; storytellers learn the stories through repeated tellings. Tellers are allowed to change and add to a short story and sometimes seek suggestions from fellow storytellers on what they can correct or add to their tellings. [4]

Tribes are more strict with traditional tales, which are usually told by the Elders. Storytellers learn long, complicated stories by being apprenticed with Elders. [3] The tellers are required to recite the stories accurately before delivering it to an audience. The stories do not have to be told the same way, but each retelling must include all the elements.

Before telling a story, the storyteller begins with a formatted introduction. The introduction includes the storyteller’s English and Native names, hometown, family background, and how they learned the story. [3] If the story does not belong to them, they must also honor the owner or credit the source. Part of storytelling is the interaction between the storyteller and the audience. The audience and their response to the story influence how the story is told. The teller reads the audience’s body language and determines how to continue with the story; depending on the response, tellers may choose to speed up, slow down, or finish a story. Storytellers also encourage audience participation to keep the listeners interested in the story. [3] Storytellers do not tell the audience the moral or point of the story; it is up to them to figure it out on their own. During a telling, the audience generates mental images of what is happening and they create different versions of the story. In the end, each audience member leaves the performance with his or her own understanding of the story. [5]

Nature

Nature is a huge part of the lives of Alaska Natives and it has an influence on their story-telling. Alaska Natives tell stories where nature plays a main role. Nature is a great influence in the story-telling because native people have respect for it.

The seasons play a large role in Alaska Native storytelling. When the events in a story involve the seasons, the relating elements are used. There are bodies of water, forests, mountains and tundra mentioned in a story when the events in a story are based on seasons other than winter. The spring, summer and fall play a smaller part in Native stories, but when these seasons are used, the story usually involves people hiking in the wild. When the events are based in a season other than the winter, aspects of an Alaskan summer, like longer days and sunshine, are involved. [6]

The majority of stories are set in winter. Winter is usually described as cruel and harsh, with extremely cold temperatures, heavy snowfall, and biting winds. When the story is centered during winter, the story-tellers will use the forces in nature such as the snow, wind storms, blizzards, and the ice. A massive part of Alaska’s region is covered by glaciers and it influences the storytelling.

Plants do not have as vital of a part in the storytelling as seasons have. Some plants and trees are described in the stories that are found in Alaska’s wilds: birch (regular and dwarf), spruce, wild roses, as well as different kinds of bushes. The ice pack and the mountains are often described in story-telling because a large part of Alaska’s country is covered with them, making them a large influence on the Alaska Native peoples.

Animals

Storytelling in Alaska Native culture is heavily influenced by animals that are a part of the tribes’ everyday lives. Animals are given the star roles in the stories, both the actor and the main theme. The animals symbolize many things such as their beliefs or taboos of a tribe or clan. The stories are told about the marking of seasons, when the salmon come into the streams or when the moose lose their antlers. Animals in story-telling can provide a joyful and humorous experience for the tribe during the winter months.

Animals can play the roles of tricksters in the stories. Common trickster figures in Native American mythology include the rabbit in the Eastern regions, the coyote and spider in the Plains and the Southwest regions, and the raven in the Pacific Northwest. Numerous animals appear in myths and legends and they rarely have purely animal characteristics. The animals are gifted with the power of speech and human attributes. The animals in the stories interact with people and frequently change between human and animal form. The stories and themes are constructed around one main animal, like for example the badger, loon, and or beaver. These animals are not as popular as the Raven or Crow. The raven and or crow are the most popular characters in native folklore.

Amongst the many tribes in Alaska, the raven shares the same meanings, such as the trickster, always getting into trouble, events such as bringing light into the world . The raven symbolizes helping the people and shaping the world. These stories about helping and shaping the world are: "How Raven brought light to the World," a Haida legend, [7] "Raven Steals the Sun," an Eyak story, [8] “Raven Steals the Light,” an Athabascan legend, [9] "Raven and His Grandmother," an Aleut story, [6] "The origin of light," an Eskimo legend, [10] "Raven" a Tlingit story, [11] "Raven becomes voracious," a Tsimshain legend. [10] These stories all have a main thread running through them about the raven, he is a trickster, but ends up helping the people.

Life lessons

Many different aspects are incorporated into the composition of a traditional Alaska Native story narrative. There are tales written with the specific purpose of passing history itself on from one generation to the next. In others, pieces of nature that are incorporated can take on a life of their own. [12] Animals can be deified and worshipped [8] or be cast in the part of a trickster such as the raven or coyote. As with any culture, there are stories told to explain a broad spectrum of life‘s aspects, and others are created to express humor alone. Found within many of the stories that have been recorded, some still told today, are a set of valuable life lessons that are handed down through the relationship of the storyteller and the avid listener.

Woven into a great adventure or a fantastic tale various ideals can be easily recognized within many Alaska Native stories. These ideals are painted directly into the heart of the story making it a great lesson for the avid listener. Such stories are told to teach the young, or to remind someone that has forgotten one of these important principles. Respecting nature, honoring family and tribe, having faith and trust, or getting along with their fellow men are several that are characteristic and thought important enough to pass on. [13]

Guidance is another prevalent aspect found accompanying the ideals within many Alaska Native stories. This guidance offers warnings against apparent evils such as pride, envy, poor decision making, or committing sins. In one classic Tlingit tale retold by S.E. Schlosser and entitled “How selfishness was rewarded”, [14] a woman uses a magical combination of words to summon fish from the ocean late at night. She then cooks and consumes this fish while her family sleeps keeping all of the catch for herself. Eventually she is caught by her family and is punished for her selfish ways. She is magically transformed into an owl, not by her family but, by the magic she had come so accustomed to. The tale ends with, "To this day, the plaintive hoot of the owl may be heard in the wilds of Alaska, reminding those who hear it of the price a young girl once paid for her selfishness. " [14]

The different types of lessons on guidance along with the virtues that are shared and passed along through the tribe’s generations are an important element of the ancient and rich Alaska Native culture and they stories they create.

See also

Notes

  1. The Land is Ours, 1996
  2. Myths Encyclopedia Myths and Legends of the World,
  3. 1 2 3 4 Echo Education through Cultural & Historical Organizations,
  4. Book Rags, 2004
  5. Interview with Lance Twitchell, April 14, 2011
  6. 1 2 Indigenous People’s Literature
  7. First People-The Legends
  8. 1 2 Native Languages of the Americas: Preserving and Promoting American Indian language, Johnny Stevens
  9. Marshall Cultural Atlas
  10. 1 2 First People-The Legends
  11. Native Languages of the Americas: Preserving and Promoting American Indian language, J.R. Swanton Collection
  12. "The Girl Who Married the Moon", 8 June 2004
  13. "Tlingit Myths and Texts", July 2003
  14. 1 2 "How Selfishness was Rewarded", 4 Apr 2011

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tlingit</span> Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America

The Tlingit or Lingít are Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America and constitute two of the two-hundred thirty-one federally recognized Tribes of Alaska. Although the majority, about 14,000 people, are Alaska Natives, there is a small minority, 2,110, who are Canadian First Nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Storytelling</span> Social and cultural sharing of stories

Storytelling is the social and cultural activity of sharing stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatrics or embellishment. Every culture has its own stories or narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation or instilling moral values. Crucial elements of stories and storytelling include plot, characters and narrative point of view. The term "storytelling" can refer specifically to oral storytelling but also broadly to techniques used in other media to unfold or disclose the narrative of a story.

The Hocągara (Ho-Chungara) or Hocąks (Ho-Chunks) are a Siouan-speaking Native American Nation originally from Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Due to forced emigration in the 19th century, they now constitute two individual tribes; the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin and the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. They are most closely related to the Chiwere peoples, and more distantly to the Dhegiha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tsimshian mythology</span> Mythology of the Tsimshian people of the United States and Canada

Tsimshian mythology is the mythology of the Tsimshian, an Aboriginal people in Canada and a Native American tribe in the United States. The majority of Tsimshian people live in British Columbia, while others live in Alaska.

The Haida are one of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. Their national territories lie along the west coast of Canada and include parts of south east Alaska. Haida mythology is an indigenous religion that can be described as a nature religion, drawing on the natural world, seasonal patterns, events and objects for questions that the Haida pantheon provides explanations for. Haida mythology is also considered animistic for the breadth of the Haida pantheon in imbuing daily events with Sǥā'na qeda's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mythologies of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas</span>

The Indigenous peoples of the Americas comprise numerous different cultures. Each has its own mythologies, many of which share certain themes across cultural boundaries. In North American mythologies, common themes include a close relation to nature and animals as well as belief in a Great Spirit that is conceived of in various ways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narrative</span> Account that presents connected events

A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether non-fictional or fictional. Narratives can be presented through a sequence of written or spoken words, through still or moving images, or through any combination of these. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, which is derived from the adjective gnarus. The formal and literary process of constructing a narrative—narration—is one of the four traditional rhetorical modes of discourse, along with argumentation, description, and exposition. This is a somewhat distinct usage from narration in the narrower sense of a commentary used to convey a story. Many additional narrative techniques, particularly literary ones, are used to build and enhance any given story.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nanabozho</span> Ojibwe trickster spirit often in the form of a rabbit

Nanabozho, also known as Nanabush, is a spirit in Anishinaabe aadizookaan, particularly among the Ojibwe. Nanabozho figures prominently in their storytelling, including the story of the world's creation. Nanabozho is the Ojibwe trickster figure and culture hero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ravens in Native American mythology</span> Traditional creation stories of indigenous peoples of North America

Raven Tales are the traditional human and animal creation stories of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. They are also found among Athabaskan-speaking peoples and others. Raven stories exist in nearly all of the First Nations throughout the region but are most prominent in the tales of the Haida, Tsimshian, Tlingit and Tahltan people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coyote (mythology)</span> Mythological character

Coyote is a mythological character common to many cultures of the Indigenous peoples of North America, based on the coyote animal. This character is usually male and is generally anthropomorphic, although he may have some coyote-like physical features such as fur, pointed ears, yellow eyes, a tail and blunt claws. The myths and legends which include Coyote vary widely from culture to culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cultural depictions of ravens</span> Depictions of ravens in literature and cultures

Many references to ravens exist in world lore and literature. Most depictions allude to the appearance and behavior of the wide-ranging common raven. Because of its black plumage, croaking call, and diet of carrion, the raven is often associated with loss and ill omen. Yet, its symbolism is complex. As a talking bird, the raven also represents prophecy and insight. Ravens in stories often act as psychopomps, connecting the material world with the world of spirits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Tlingit</span>

The history of the Tlingit includes pre- and post-contact events and stories. Tradition-based history involved creation stories, the Raven Cycle and other tangentially-related events during the mythic age when spirits transformed back and forth from animal to human and back, the migration story of arrival at Tlingit lands, and individual clan histories. More recent tales describe events near the time of the first contact with Europeans. European and American historical records come into play at that point; although modern Tlingit have access to those historical records, however, they maintain their own record of ancestors and events important to them against the background of a changing world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kutkh</span> Raven spirit revered by various indigenous peoples of far eastern Russia

Kutkh is a Raven spirit traditionally revered in various forms by various indigenous peoples of the Russian Far East. Kutkh appears in many legends: as a key figure in creation, as a fertile ancestor of mankind, as a mighty shaman and as a trickster. He is a popular subject of the animist stories of the Chukchi people and plays a central role in the mythology of the Koryaks and Itelmens of Kamchatka. Many of the stories regarding Kutkh are similar to those of the Raven among the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, suggesting a long history of indirect cultural contact between Asian and North American peoples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Br'er Rabbit</span> Fictional rabbit in Uncle Remus folklore

Br'er Rabbit is a central figure in an oral tradition passed down by African-Americans of the Southern United States and African descendants in the Caribbean, notably Afro-Bahamians and Turks and Caicos Islanders. He is a trickster who succeeds by his wits rather than by brawn, provoking authority figures and bending social mores as he sees fit. Popular adaptations of the character, originally recorded by Joel Chandler Harris in the 19th century, include Walt Disney Productions' Song of the South in 1946.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oral storytelling</span> Tradition between the storyteller and their audience

Oral storytelling is an ancient and intimate tradition between the storyteller and their audience. The storyteller and the listeners are physically close, often seated together in a circular fashion. The intimacy and connection is deepened by the flexibility of oral storytelling which allows the tale to be molded according to the needs of the audience and the location or environment of the telling. Listeners also experience the urgency of a creative process taking place in their presence and they experience the empowerment of being a part of that creative process. Storytelling creates a personal bond with the teller and the audience.

<i>The Storyteller</i> (Vargas Llosa novel) 1987 novel by Mario Vargas Llosa

The Storyteller is a novel by Peruvian author and Literature Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa. The story tells of Saúl Zuratas, a university student who leaves civilization and becomes a "storyteller" for the Machiguenga Native Americans. The novel thematizes the Westernization of indigenous peoples through missions and through anthropological studies, and questions the perceived notion that indigenous cultures are set in stone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernestine Hayes</span> Tlingit writer, poet, and former Alaska State Writer Laureate

Ernestine Saankaláxt Hayes is a Tlingit author and an Emerita professor at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau, Alaska.She belongs to the Wolf House of the Kaagwaaataan clan of the Eagle side of the Tlingit Nation. Hayes is a memoirist, essayist, and poet. She served as Alaska State Writer Laureate 2017–2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian folklore</span> Traditional folklore of Canada

Canadian folklore is the traditional material that Canadians pass down from generation to generation, either as oral literature or "by custom or practice". It includes songs, legends, jokes, rhymes, proverbs, weather lore, superstitions, and practices such as traditional food-making and craft-making. The largest bodies of folklore in Canada belong to the aboriginal and French-Canadian cultures. English-Canadian folklore and the folklore of recent immigrant groups have added to the country's folk.

Indigenous cultures in North America engage in storytelling about morality, origin, and education as a form of cultural maintenance, expression, and activism. Falling under the banner of oral tradition, it can take many different forms that serve to teach, remember, and engage Indigenous history and culture. Since the dawn of human history, oral stories have been used to understand the reasons behind human existence. Today, Indigenous storytelling is part of the broader indigenous process of building and transmitting indigenous knowledge.

Trickster: Native American Tales, A Graphic Collection is an anthology of Native American stories in the format of graphic novels. Published in 2010 and edited by Matt Dembicki, Trickster contains twenty-one short stories, all told by Indigenous storytellers from many different native nations. The premise of each short story is to teach a moral lesson or explain how certain natural events happen. All stories contained within the anthology are tales that have been told orally for centuries within Native American tribes. As the title of the collection suggests, each story contains a character that is known and depicted as a Trickster. This character is the main focus of the story and is typically depicted as an animal figure. Many of the tales such as, Coyote and the Pebbles and Rabbit and the Tug-of-War depict the trickster in a more well-known form of a coyote or rabbit. Lesser known characters are depicted as the trickster throughout the remaining stories such as the raven in Raven the Trickster and the racoon in Espun and Grandfather.

References

  • “Alaska Natives.”Wikipedia. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 31 Mar. 2011. Web. 3 Apr.2011
  • “How Raven brought light to the World, A Haida Legend.” First People-The Legends. “N.p” n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2011
  • “Important Aleut Mythological Figures.” Native Languages of the Americas: Preserving and promoting American Indian languages. Native Languages of the Americas, n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2011
  • “Important Atha Mythological Figures.” Native Languages of the Americas: Preserving and Promoting American Indian language. Native Languages of the Americas, n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2011
  • “Important Eyak Mythological Figures.” Native Languages of the Americas: Preserving and Promoting American Indian language. Native Languages of the Americas, n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2011
  • “Important Haida Mythological Figures.” Native Languages of the Americas: Preserving and Promoting American Indian language. Native Languages of the Americas, n.d. Web. 3 Apr 2011
  • “Important Tlingit Mythological Figures.” Native Languages of the Americas: Preserving and Promoting American Indian language. Native Languages of the Americas, n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2011
  • “Important Tsimshian Mythological Figures.” Native Languages of the Americas: Preserving and Promoting American Indian language. Native Languages of the America, n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2011
  • Meachen Rau, Dana. Arctic Adventure. 1997, Trudy corporation. Print.
  • Oozeva, Conrad; Noongwook, Chester; Noongwook, George; Alowa, Christina and Krupnik, Igor. Watching the ice and weather our way. 2004, Arctic Studies Center, Smithsomian Institutions. Print.
  • “Native American Mythology.” Myths Encyclopedia Myths and Legends of the World. Web. 13 Apr 2011.
  • “Oral Literature of the Alaskan Arctic.” Book Rags. 15 Nov 2004. Web. 13 Apr 2011.
  • Peter, Evon. "The Colonization of Alaska Natives" Print.
  • “Raven and His Grandmother.” Indigenous People’s Literature. Glenn Welker, n.d. Web. Apr. 2011
  • “Raven becomes voracious, A Tsimshian Legend.”First People-The Legends. “N.p.” n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2011
  • “Raven Steals The Light.” Marshall Cultural Atlas. Alaska Native Knowledge Network, n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2011
  • Rooth, Anna Birgitta. The importance of storytelling. Almqvist & Wiksell, Uppsala 1976. Print.
  • Schlosser, S. E. “How Selfishness was Rewarded.” American Folklore. 4 Apr. 2011. Web. 13 Apr. 2011.
  • Sis, Peter. A small tale from the far North. 1993, Alfred A. Knopf Inc. Print.
  • Skidd, David. Alaska Highway adventure series number 1. Gladstone lakes mystery. 1995 Midnight Ink, Palm Desert, California. Print.
  • Stevens, Johnny. “Raven Steals the Sun.” Native Languages of the Americas: Preserving and Promoting American Indian language. Native Languages of the Americas, n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2011
  • “Storytelling and Culture.” Echo Education through Cultural & Historical Organizations. Web. 13 Apr 2011.
  • Swanton, J.R. Collection. “Raven.” Native Languages of the Americas: Preserving and Promoting American Indian language. Native Languages of the Americas, n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2011
  • Swanton, John R. Tlingit Myths and Texts. "Sacred Texts.com". July. 2003. Web. 13 Apr. 2011
  • “The Girl Who Married the Moon.” "Indigenous People.net". 8 Jun. 2004. Web. 13 Apr. 2011.
  • The Land is Ours. Dir. Laurence A. Goldin. 1996. DVD.
  • “The origin of light, An Eskimo Legend.” "First People-The Legends". “N.p.” n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2011
  • Thompson, Stith Collection. “The Theft of Light.” Native Languages of the Americas: Preserving and Promoting American Indian language. Native Languages of the America, n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2011
  • Toronto.edu. Nature Literacy. Nature Stories. Forestry. 2011. 31 March 2011. Web.
  • Twitchell, Lance. Personal Interview. 14 April 2011.