Oral Traditions and Storytelling of the Indigenous People

Indigenous cultural activities, beliefs, motivation, and education were spiritually based among inter-dependent relationships within all natural relationships and the universe that were held in ceremonies and stories. Ceremonies taught ancestral knowledge for successive generations to learn the natural relationships that guided moral and ethical conduct of the people. These ways of knowing were embedded into the daily activities to guide future generations in a continually changing environment [1].

“The Blackfoot ways of knowing include the language, ritual, spirituality and the oral tradition” [2]. The Blackfoot are known as Niitsitapi, or the real people, who have woven oral story telling into every aspect of their culture. They lived their lives as a collective of a society that works together, to be considerate and to make sure they all move forward together to ensure the survival as a community. Oral stories from ceremonial knowledge and sacred ceremonies and celebrations to events that mark an important milestone in a person’s life. An example of celebration is the naming of a newborn into the tribe. The naming ceremony requires an emphasis on protocols by Blackfoot elders who has earned the right to tell the story in the process of naming an individual and bestows good wishes in addition to having a purpose for cultural responsibilities. These oral traditions and oral history stories are owned by the collective of Niitsitapiiks. They are considered gifts of knowledge to be passed on [2].

“Teaching through story telling and mentoring uses metaphor and facilitation as a way of learning, which requires the learner to use, thought processes in order to attain understanding and meaning. Learning process includes utilization of critical thinking skills to examine phenomenon to find meaning. Those raised in the traditional Blackfoot way, learn critical thinking from the Napi and origin narratives, which helps to guide the individual through the process of discerning appropriateness of information. Story telling as a methodology instigates critical thinking in that the student must reason the consequences of action. The Blackfoot ceremonial learning process includes elder teaching methodology that follows the metaphorical way of learning through story telling” [3].

Prior to colonization and the paternal governance of the Christian way of life, the Blackfoot women always had a unique position in their communities as storytellers. They were known to have strong connections between language, rituals, spirituality and to the earth; thereby, empowering women into positions of power in Blackfoot spiritual ceremonies. Blackfoot women have always been an important part of the Blackfoot education system [3].

Building Brains Together has had the pleasure of working with Carl Brave Rock to record several traditional oral Blackfoot stories. These stories can be read and viewed HERE. (www.buildingbrains.ca/blackfoot-stories)

References

1.     Bastein, B. (2004). Blackfoot ways of knowing: The Worldview of the Siksikaitsitapi. Jurgen W. Kremer (Ed.) and Duane Mistaken Chief (language consultant). University of Calgary Press. Calgary, AB. www.uofcpress.com.

2.     Shelly, E. (2013). Piikanaikiiks: A Literary Analysis of Blackfoot Oral Stories and the Traditional Roles of  Women in Leadership. Thesis for Master of Arts. (pg.1, 2, 33-38). University of Lethbridge, Canada.

3.   Pepion, D. D. (2000). Blackfoot Ceremony: A Qualitative Study Of Learning. (pg. 108). Thesis Diss. Montana S tate University –Bozema n. 1 999. Ann Arbor: UMI.

Photo: The Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta

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