Native American Storytelling
Storytelling has been in existence since the days of yore. Images of children gathered around an elderly person consciously bring to our attention the practices that are no longer with us. Storytelling sessions were the moments of joy for many children. Presumptively, they would still play a crucial role in the growth and development of young people were they to exist in the present day.
Contrary to what most people think, entertainment was rarely the objective of telling stories, especially with regard to the ancient tribes and communities. Most of these tribes used storytelling sessions as an avenue for passing down the centuries of cultural practices unique to the community. Cultural preservation was the driving force behind the native storytelling. In addition, these sessions were used to develop the language, analyzing and judgmental skills of the young ones. It was made possible by making the session interactive; for instance, by asking questions and obtaining answers from the audience. More importantly, storytelling sessions were used to teach the younger generation about various life lessons including taking care of their environment .
Native American stories incorporated a number of styles and literary conventions that made the stories unique in their own right. Humor was one of the devices employed. It not only created light and ambient atmosphere but also opened doors for the session to be interactive. The use of myths was also common. Myths enabled the audience to understand how their community viewed certain aspects of the society, such as religion, origin, language, and the occurrence of various phenomena, including drought and famine. It was important that children knew much about these topics to inculcate the identity in their culture and to improve their understanding of their environment and origin. Other literary devices employed were allegory, satire, and oral tradition. Under the latter, the use of songs stands out . Songs were of various types. However, their goal was common in that they were used to send a message of change or embracing positive values.
The identity of a community was of immense importance. Keeping the identity alive and continuation of the community customs was even of more importance . Native storytelling played a crucial role in both revealing and maintaining the identity of a community. When the children sat down together to hear stories, a feeling of belonging developed within them. Participating in the process through singing, asking questions, et cetera, also created an identity within the participants. Social identity was important with regard to the knowledge of one’s origin and history. It was useful, in its turn, in the maintenance of the community’s cultural practices.
Characterization was an important element of Native American literature. Through the characters, the audience learns the importance of certain values, such as bravery, wit, and hard work. It was also through the characters that other traits that were looked down upon were brought to the attention of the audience. Different types of characters were used, including humans, animals, and even inanimate objects. What remained the same about all types of characters was their use to send out a message of good values and rebuke the unwanted values to give practical examples to the audience.
The language used by the authors and storytellers made the stories and storytelling sessions unique and effective. Local dialect was most preferred. Even those written in English were the result of translation of stories previously written or narrated in the local dialect. Translated stories always have the potential of misinterpretation. For this reason, a number of authors resorted to learning the local language before translating in order to maintain the originality of the intended message in the story. Often the language used in the Native American Literature employed the use of parables and allegory. Therefore, the message was not always clear, and it called for in-depth analysis to grasp the moral of the story. Such analyses made the stories effective as they contributed to the analytical skills among other skills of the audience.
In the Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, the main characters are involved in a fight against political and social injustices. The story is based on the actions of the heroic Lone Ranger and his Indian friend Tonto. A ranger was the equivalent of a sheriff in the present day. The historical background of the story reveals the arrival of European settlers who discovered silver in the Indian Territory. They left and came back with the selfish motive of clearing the village and taking the silver for themselves. This historical background paves the way in the story for conflict with the native Indians pitted against the settlers.
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