#native storytelling

[nawhstudiescantu]

Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko

Major writer in the First Wave of Native Renaissance, her book weaves different methods of writing---from short story, to poems, to a traditional art of oral storytelling on the page, Silko provides an account of life as a Native in 1970s based on the traditions and ceremony practices of the Najavo and Pueblo people.

Within Silko's storytelling, the craft of resistance is woven by providing an authentic view to her culture, weaving history from the ancestors into the stories that teach and illustrate life of the people from before colonization to after.

from Ceremony

via pdf

via goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/2937863-ceremony

[bizarrelittlemew]

i can't wait to be 30+ and still in fandom and i can't wait to be 40+ and still in fandom and i can't wait to be 50+ and still in fandom and i can't wait to be 60+ and still in fandom and i can't wait to be 70+ and still in fandom and i can't wait to be 80+ and still in fandom and i can't wait to be 90+ and still in fandom and i can't wait to look back on my life and know that i loved things deeply and passionately and was inspired to create and was part of communities with incredible people from all over the world brought together by the stories that touched us

[johnsspacesuittight]

not even kidding a little bit, I miss the Hot Daga all the time, and idk how many years it's even been since it was cut short far too soon, but I know it's been several

[rightwriter]

Indigenous Storytelling

A lot of the stuff I've posted so far is pretty white western-centric views of telling stories. The whole article is very informative! An excerpt: "Many of the main characters in Plains Indian mythology never end. Not only are they immortal and indestructible—where they may be killed in one story and are right back at it in another—they also age with the listener. Coyote stories for children have childlike morals; for teens Coyote is a much rougher character; and, for elders only, grandpa Coyote is smart, and his stories are deep and filled with complicated plots and plans."

[uwmspeccoll]

Written in the Stars

Star Tales: North American Indian Stories is retold and illustrated by Gretchen Will Mayo (b. 1936) and published in 1987 by Walker & Co. in New York. After getting a journalism degree and a teaching certificate, Mayo attended the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design from 1982 to 1984 and earned her MFA from Vermont College. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and in 1987, she received several awards and honors, including the Original Children’s Book Art Award and Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) Choice for Star Tales. Mayo has lived and worked in the Milwaukee area for many years.

For this book, Mayo, known for her children’s books, retells Native American stories related to the stars. Her work beautifully bridges cultural heritage and imagination, making her a cherished voice in children’s literature. Her illustrations enhance the enchantment of these celestial narratives, allowing one to imagine constellations coming alive with myth and magic.

-View other posts from our Native American Literature Collection

-Melissa (Stockbridge-Munsee), Special Collections Graduate Intern

[artist-issues]

Hi! I've seen you comment a bit here and there about Pocahontas. This movie has had this quite messy reputation attached to it since it came out and hasn't been able to escape from it since then. Personally, I've always liked Pocahontas, but I do acknowledge that it has its glaring issues, especially when it comes to the context of what actually went down and Pocahontas's true story. I'm interested in reading your thoughts on the movie and what Disney could have done better regarding the whole "diversity" and historical accuracy thing. I genuinely believe Disney had the best of intentions when it came to the themes, message and depiction of Native American culture, but the execution unfortunately did not seem the most appropriate at times. What do you think?

I don’t know. I don’t have a settled opinion on Pocahontas. I will say I really enjoy it, and I think maybe the aesthetics of the movie are what appeal to me the most because it’s the one I want to have on in the background most often.

When you say “what Disney could’ve done better regarding the whole ‘diversity’ and historical accuracy thing” and “did not seem the most appropriate at times,” I don’t know if I understand what you mean. I don’t know if I understand what anyone means when they say that.

There are almost zero cold hard facts about the historical Pocahontas that EXPERTS agree on. Almost zero. So when people say “oh no, it wasn’t historically accurate,” it’s like, “no, of course it’s not. It’s a fairy tale based on a historical person that we know very little about to begin with.” Seems like what they’re mainly mad about is that Historical John Smith’s version of Historical Pocahontas saving him is the framework for the animated film, and we all generally agree that his version was fake. And people are mad about that?

But…why? If it’s already supposed to be a fairy tale loosely inspired by a historical person we know very little about…I mean, nobody is furious with the Robin Hood stories and going “how dare you misrepresent Robin of Lockersley, 1160, and King Richard I!!” Because we all know that they’re stories loosely based on—anyway. You get my point. Why would you have beef about a fairy tale being based loosely? Moving on.

You can say “because now generations of kids are growing up thinking that’s the real story of Pocahontas!! What an outrage!”

…All right, well, then you’re doing a terrible job teaching your kids discernment as a parent. When kids I’m responsible for watch a movie, I tell them “it’s a movie. It’s not real.” If it’s a movie about historical events, I tell them, “If you want to know more about the real story, let’s learn about the real story.” It’s not on Disney to teach your kids that a fairy tale is a fairy tale, it’s on you.

Anyway, you get it. Moving on.

Thing is, the Pocahontas movie’s message is “Love tries to understand, not to possess.” Great message. Especially good when applied to the problem of prejudice.

So then, they just shift the events, the character motivations, and the depictions around as needed, like they would any fairy tale in order to send that message in the best way. And because it is a fairy tale, not a documentary, great. Do it.

If Historical John Smith’s fake story makes that message more compelling, great. Use pieces of it. Why not? After all, they never claimed that this was the true, accurate history of colonization, the Anglo-Powhatan war, or John Smith’s interactions with Pocahontas. If they had made that claim, sure, let’s talk about historical accuracy. But they didn’t, so let’s not.

That’s all I had to say about the “historical inaccuracies” thing. Now let’s talk about “representation.”

What is it that people have an issue with here? Did they really want Disney to animate hundreds of Powhatan’s people dying of disease? Did they want Disney to animate heads getting chopped off and women getting raped? What’s the argument? That Disney should’ve made the colonists the clear and undeniable villains, the monsters of history, and the Native Americans 100% pure and innocent, wronged victims?

They’re not mad that Disney did a bad job representing Native Americans in a movie that was supposed to be a fairy tale. They’re mad that Disney didn’t represent Native Americans the way they would’ve.

Far as my eyes can see, people who call Pocahontas racist or misrepresentative just don’t want the story to be “Love tries to understand, not to possess.” They want the story to be “White colonists were unredeemable racist monsters and sub-human tyrants who deserved to rot in hell, while the Native American people were entirely innocent victims who did nothing wrong.’

The problem is that’s just not a true, or even helpful message for any movie to have. Sorry. The statement I just typed out up there in bold is not a true or helpful statement. And thank God the Pocahontas movie didn’t make it.

There’s nothing racist being said in the Pocahontas movie. There are depictions of the sin of racism in the Pocahontas movie. There is a difference. Characters in the Pocahontas movie talk and sing about each other as if the other people group is sub-human. That is a depiction of racism. But the message of the movie, and the way it treats Native Americans, is to treat them like human beings. Therefore, the message is not racist.

In terms of who is good and who is bad, who is right and who is wrong, the movie very clearly shows that the Native American characters did not start the violence. The Native American characters did not want war. The Native American characters were willing to be friendly and willing to defend their land and each other. The Native American characters were the first to try and make peace with the colonist characters. And they were all (Kocoum included) entirely human characters. They were even the good-guy-coded characters, in the movie’s conflict. All of the Native American side characters are noticeably smarter, kinder, drawn more carefully, and are more heroic than the white characters. (When Thomas is thrown overboard the other white side characters leave him behind. In contrast, when Namonteck is shot the other Native American side characters rescue him immediately and fall back.) And, not a caricature among them. Meanwhile, Wiggins, Ben, and Lion are all drawn with exaggerated characteristics. The heroine is Pocahontas the Character, not John Smith the Character. So what is the issue you have?

What people think is racist is the “idealization” of a Native American woman falling in love—or, as they like to say now—“committing herself to a white colonist.” But that’s like…a gross oversimplification of the movie. John Smith (the character) committed himself right back to her, nobody wants to talk about that? Also, they low key didn’t commit themselves to each other at all costs—he tries to, at the end of the movie, stay with her or have her come with him, and she won’t leave her home and her people?? So what’s the argument?

Not to mention, why is anyone even upset that the character Pocahontas falls in love with a white colonist character? Are you saying that this sort of thing would never happen? That a young woman who’s people are embattled with and mistreated by invaders would never find one invader who comes to an understanding with her, and then they fall in love? You’re mad because that would never happen? Incorrect. It happened all the time in history. It happens all the time in other stories you love, like West Side Story.

Who the heck cares if it didn’t happen exactly that way (even though maybe it did) with the historical Pocahontas? We already established that this wasn’t supposed to be a historically accurate retelling, it was supposed to be a loosely-based fairy tale. And the message “Love tries to understand, not to possess,” works perfectly with a fairy tale where the girl from one side of a racially-charged hate war understands and falls in love with a guy from the other side.

I mean people who talk about Pocahontas, the historical figure, with reverence and respect, all usually agree on one thing: she did help maintain some kind of peace between colonists and Native Americans. Whether or not you think the colonists should’ve even been there in the first place is beside the point—sorry, but it is; they were there, now let’s deal with the reality.

So when Disney makes a movie where the goal is to tell the message “Love tries to understand, not to possess,” and they have to be true to the universally-agreed-upon “Pocahontas probably helped bring some peace…” in their fairy tale…why on earth do you have a problem with Pocahontas the Character falling in love as a reason for bringing about that peace?

It’s because you don’t find “falling in love” to be anything other than demeaning for a woman. And it’s because you don’t want John Smith, or any white colonist character, to be depicted as human. You want them all to be unredeemable racist monsters.

The goal is no longer to have movies that say what Pocahontas said. We don’t want movies where there’s messy racism, but then it ends with attempts at peace and understanding. We want movies where there’s entirely one-sided racism, and then revenge for that racism. That’s what we want. We want endless apologies and zero forgiveness.

And for better or worse, Pocahontas is not a movie about endless apologies and zero forgiveness.

IN CONCLUSION: 1. None of the “you” statements were directed at you, idiosyncraticrednebula. 🫡

2. Anyone who wants to teach me where I’m wrong is welcome to, but you have to show your work, and you have to be consistent, you can’t just say “lol imagine thinking Pocahontas isn’t racist. You are the problem.” and then block me. 🙄 all right, well, you can, but all you’ll get out of it is an echo chamber.

3. If you want me to talk about the art, the storytelling, the quality of the movie outside of all this (and it should be outside of all this, because this was a fairy tale, not a historically accurate documentary) it’ll have to be in a different ask, and I’m happy to.

4. Should Disney have made it more clear that this was a fairy tale, a stylized story based only loosely on historical events? …Yeah. Definitely should’ve done a Prince of Egypt-style title card or something. But they didn’t—so now show me why it’s racist or misrepresentative.

[hannahssimblr]

Hey, sorry that I haven't responded to your email from last Wednesday. I was hiking with some friends and had no reception.

You asked about the room. It is free from August. So that should go well with your move. I'm assuming that you can't come and see it in person beforehand. I've attached a few photos for you so you have a rough idea of ​​what the apartment looks like. Sorry for the poor quality, my camera is quite old and I'm not exactly the best photographer.

Unfortunately, the bedroom is still pretty chaotic at the moment. When Marie moves out next month, everything will of course be cleaned. Please let us know if you're still interested!

Thank you for telling me a little bit about yourself. I'm also really into sports and music. I'm actually in the gym almost every day and I also really enjoy bouldering and hiking. Otherwise, I like to go to parties or my friends and I hang out here. If that's not your thing, the shared apartment probably wouldn't be for you...

Please let us know if you would prefer us to write in English. I don't speak fluently but my English is ok.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you,

Jonas Osterhaus

Hello Jonas, 

Thank you for your email. The apartment is nice, and I would like to take it.

How can I send you the money? Please send your bank details.

I can pay in August, because that is when I will sell my car. 

It is good that you like sports and music. I am okay with your friends coming to the apartment. I like meeting new people and spending time with them.

I hope camping was fun. 

Jude. 

Beginning // Prev // Next

[unofficial-book-reviews]

"Do not think that I do not love you

if I scream

while I die.

Antler and thin black hoof

smashed against dark rock--

the struggle is the ritual

shining teeth tangled in

sinew and flesh.

You see,

I will go with you,

Because you call softly

because you are my brother

and my sister

Because the mountain is

our mother.

I will go with you

because you love me

while I die."

Excerpt from Deer Song, Leslie Marmon Silko

[arthistoryanimalia]

Another wonderful piece to celebrate #WorldTurtleDay 🐢 during #BearAwarenessWeek 🐻:

Randy Chitto (Choctaw, b.1962)

Turtle Storyteller with Bear Hide

Ceramic sculpture, H 10 1/8 in (25.7 cm)

"Randy's artistic journey primarily centers around the turtle, symbolizing the Choctaw's storytellers, and the bear, representing the strength and courage of the male facet of the tribe."

https://randychitto.com/bio

[rawliverandgoronspice]

I love totk, love it with all my heart. But even I feel a bit disappointed with a lot of the aspects.

The one that gets me the most is just, the Zonai in general?

When I think back to botw, I remember all the wild and exciting theories and thoughts about what the Zonai could be.

I remember theories that they were some iteration of the Kokiri because the spiral symbols were similar, and a lot of the structures were in forests. I remember everyone being so sure that they were a warlike race because the Barbarian Set were found exclusively in the Lomei Labyrinths. Everyone was wondering what the owls, boars and dragons meant to them.

Then we actually get to see the Zonai, the big mystery of botw and there's just.

Nothing.

All we learn is: there’s 2 of them, they had advanced tech, and they had magical macguffins.

It feels so hollow knowing there was so much potential for another race to be introduced to the Zelda universe and we essentially get Sheikah 2.0 with some Mesoamerican vibes.

We don't even learn anything about them as a race, like where the rest of them went or how they were accepted so easily as rulers or why they're called "Secret Stones" when it seems like everyone knows what they are.

The only real upside to this total lack of info is that it lets people with actual creativity create headcanons and fits without having to worry about being canon compliant.

Just rings hollow.

Yeah, I absolutely feel that. I think the Zelda theorists, and I both include myself and say this with all the love in the world, tend to overhype the specificity of things that tend to remain vague in Zelda (and sometimes that vagueness is great, because it's exactly what fuels us next!), but.... I have to agree that Zonais really didn't deliver on that aspect for me either.

To be frank, I was never super into Zonai lore (because I was never super into BotW lore, but it's really on me and not at all a criticism or anything, the community and I missed each other on the hyperfocus moment), but I got super interested to see the Mesoamerican vibes going on in this game to the point where, when Nintendo dropped the Gameplay trailer and I got... honestly pretty underwhelmed (like design wise that sounded great and fun but it kind of cemented the sort of playground direction they were going with, and it got me pretty worried about other aspects, namely the story :) ), I decided to spoil myself with the leaked artbook just to give me... something to latch onto I guess? Because I really wanted to get excited! And the Mesoamerican vibes did the trick: I got super curious about what that could mean, what the Zonais would bring to the table culture-wise, what sort of cool legends involving them would be investigated, etc... Also it just wasn't a kind of setting that Zelda ever really explored (and still has not, in my humble opinion), so it kind of quieted down my worries of having a game that looked so similar to BotW in terms of artistic direction, to the point where I became afraid it wouldn't have anything different to say (which... ended up kind of being my final opinion, unfortunately).

I think the Zonais both lost a lot of their mystery while not really clarifying anything? I kind of would have loved them to remain otherwordly figures, almost? Or maybe to just have hints of a culture that would be very different to Hyrule's, instead of basically the same thing but with robots and things fly around also --I would have loved deeper implementation of Mesoamerican mythos or cultural elements, instead of it remaining.... kind of a costume, honestly? Like, what even is zonai culture, beyond the automation (which was already kind of the Sheikah's thing anyway?) Where do the stones come from? Where are the other zonais? I'm not asking for direct answers, but just enough vagueness, murals, legends, ancient spirits to set the theorists' brain on fire. The Depths would have been amazing to hint at more (and doubly so for the Sky Islands), but right now, in spite of having spoken to two different live (kind of) Zonais, I still have zero idea what their deal is. They could have been hylians and nothing would have really changed.

So, yeah! Agreed! And sorry for the late ask aaa

[telleroftales-blog]

A beautiful recitation from our upcoming audiobook and video ‘The Covenant Of Heaven’, based on the Mayan creation tale and the Popol Vuh.

www.echoesofantiquity.net

[poridge]

Started Chernobyl. the choice of BRITISH ACCENT is making my stomach churn.

[quietwingsinthesky]

hi not to complain about a poorly written game from a decade ago, but can we please talk about how egregious it is setting the dinner chapter directly after separation in beyond: two souls? i have gripes about how poorly this game utilizes it’s non-linear narrative in a lot of places, but this stands out as the worst offender to me while replaying it. directly after we reveal Ryan (already the face of the CIA that we know will later go on to hunt Jodie down and who “used her”) as also the man who tears Jodie away from the only home/family she’s really had, we jump directly into. them in a romantic relationship.

Ryan is not just some guy Jodie could have as a love interest. He represents a very negative, very exploitative force in her life. Hell, going linearly, you have Jodie yelling at him not to touch her in The Embassy straight into the hijinks of The Dinner. It’s jarring and not in a meaningful way. Not purposefully, at least. Like, Aiden getting Ryan to leave the apartment during The dinner is one of the requirements for the “be evil whenever you can” achievement, right next to literally trying to kill children. There’s so much dissonance between what we’re told (Jodie and Ryan’s relationship is Normal And Fun And Sexy, Actually) and what we’re shown (Ryan is the face of the agency that takes and uses and hounds Jodie all game, and no relationship they could possibly have would ever be on equal footing.)

I really think, and bear with me because I know this chapter has Issues™️ too, that The Dinner would have benefitted greatly from being directly after Like Other Girls and taking place before we learn just how the CIA got ahold of Jodie in Separation. The two chapters obviously tie-in together with the consequences of the events of Like Other Girls falling directly on Jodie’s relationship with Ryan in The Dinner, while also having a thematic tie in Jodie desperately wanting to pretend, if only for a night, that she can be a normal person with normal relationships. It would also have led to a stomach-sinking moment in Separation where Jodie meets Ryan for the first time chronologically and you realize just how connected that relationship is to Jodie’s exploitation by the CIA. If you got Aiden to ruin their chances, then you might feel a little better about that. If you let them get together, you’re going to feel uncomfortable, and you should! (And if Like Other Girls prevented that outcome, again, poorly handled in-game, but at least it would come full circle just how violating this has been for Jodie. I cannot emphasize enough how much Jodie is seventeen in Separation, and the first line Ryan says to her (not about her. to her.) is for her to quit her adolescent whining and pack up to get drafted.)

(I also think that if the game was half as good as its potential, we wouldn’t have gotten some random SWAT guy hunting Jodie down. We would have gotten Ryan doing it. I think that would have provided a much needed layer to their relationship that’s hinted at at the end of Separation and The Mission. Ryan has manipulated her, but at the end of the day, Jodie & Aiden can fuck him and anyone else up that tries to harm her.)

[blueheartbookclub]

"Exploring the Rich Tapestry of Sioux Culture: A Review of Myths and Legends of the Sioux by Mrs. Marie L. McLaughlin"

Myths and Legends of the Sioux, as compiled by Mrs. Marie L. McLaughlin, presents readers with a captivating journey into the rich cultural heritage of the Sioux people. Through a collection of traditional stories passed down through generations, McLaughlin provides invaluable insights into the spiritual beliefs, customs, and values of this indigenous community.

At the heart of the book lies a deep reverence for storytelling as a means of preserving and transmitting cultural knowledge. McLaughlin's meticulous retelling of these myths and legends not only preserves the oral tradition of the Sioux but also offers readers a window into their worldview, spirituality, and collective identity. From creation myths and tales of heroism to legends of nature spirits and animal guides, each story is imbued with symbolism, wisdom, and a profound connection to the natural world.

One of the most striking aspects of Myths and Legends of the Sioux is its portrayal of the interconnectedness between humanity and the natural environment. Through stories of animal spirits and sacred landscapes, McLaughlin highlights the Sioux people's deep respect for the earth and its inhabitants. These narratives serve as reminders of the importance of living in harmony with nature and honoring the sacredness of all life—a message that resonates now more than ever in an era of environmental crisis.

Moreover, the book offers readers a glimpse into the spiritual beliefs and rituals of the Sioux people, shedding light on their understanding of the divine and the supernatural. From the veneration of ancestral spirits to the significance of vision quests and sacred ceremonies, McLaughlin paints a vivid picture of a culture steeped in reverence for the spiritual realm. Through these stories, readers gain insight into the Sioux people's deep sense of connection to the cosmos and their belief in the power of the unseen forces that shape their lives.

In addition to its cultural and spiritual significance, Myths and Legends of the Sioux serves as a testament to the resilience and strength of indigenous storytelling traditions. Despite centuries of colonization, displacement, and cultural assimilation, the oral traditions of the Sioux people have endured, serving as a source of resilience, empowerment, and cultural pride. Through McLaughlin's careful retelling, these stories continue to inspire and educate readers of all backgrounds, fostering a deeper appreciation for the richness and diversity of indigenous cultures.

In conclusion, Myths and Legends of the Sioux is a captivating exploration of Sioux culture, spirituality, and storytelling traditions. Through its collection of traditional myths and legends, Mrs. Marie L. McLaughlin invites readers on a journey of discovery and reflection, offering invaluable insights into the timeless wisdom and enduring resilience of the Sioux people. With its rich tapestry of stories and profound insights, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in indigenous cultures, folklore, and the power of storytelling to preserve and celebrate cultural heritage.

Myths and Legends of the Sioux, by Mrs. Marie L. McLaughlin, is available in Amazon in paperback 12.99$ and hardcover 20.99$ editions.

Number of pages: 242

Language: English

Rating: 10/10                                           

Link of the book!

Review By: King's Cat

[shittywriterbrain]

my best friend just told me they love my writing. the world is truly a wonderful place