This collection of essays approaches "voice" as a means of expression that lives in the interactions of writers, readers, and language, and examines the conceptualizations of voice within the oral rhetorical and expressionist traditions, and the notion of voice as both a singular and plural phenomenon. An explanatory introduction by the…

Stories have always been the means of making a message, of exploring the relationship between past and present, and of giving significance to events. A noted native artist and writer described the "talking stick" of his tribe as a talisman which gives the person who possesses it the right to speak and hold the attention of the tribe. A…

This pamphlet presents quotes of Native American elders concerning Native philosophy and way of life. This advice is intended to transmit Native American thoughts on how to live a good life and to address the essence of a natural education. Originally prepared for Native American young people, this pamphlet is now being offered to all people,…

This booklet is presented as a guide for students undertaking oral history projects for a class assignment. The students were to search for people attending one-room schools or other early schools in Bartholomew County Indiana from the late 1800s to the 1950s. The suggestions given in the booklet are to help in developing questions and presenting…

This report focuses on rhythmic meters characteristic of Bulgarian folk music. Folk instruments, attire, music history, and methods of learning the folk traditional music and dances are presented. Students prepare a lecture/recital to showcase their learning of this unit. The project is intended for use in an undergraduate music history course for…

Students are challenged to explore stories told through pictures, objects, and music throughout the units included in this guide. Students learn to identify and analyze a variety of recurring narratives, and in describing their own experiences, create their own stories and find meaning within these stories. Storytelling develops speaking and…

Noting that people enjoy listening to and telling stories, this guide shows bilingual teachers how to use storytelling to stimulate learning, to promote understanding among each other, and to enhance self-esteem. Sections of the guide are: Why Tell Stories?; Reflections Concerning Stories in the Classroom; Suggested Activities for Teachers; and…

Many storytellers, educators, and researchers advocate that storytelling can contribute significantly to early literacy development. Early childhood education needs to embrace literacy programs that actively employ storytelling to bridge students' established oracy skills and their newfound literacy skills. By doing this, children will encounter a…

Questions to consider when teaching an American Indian literatures course include the nature of Native American identity, what constitutes American Indian literature, and the cultural context of Indian texts. Overviews articles in this issue that describe different approaches to mainstreaming American Indian literature into traditional American…

Indigenous knowledge is a living, breathing concept and must be treated with care and respect. This living knowledge is transmitted orally. At the University of Queensland (Australia), the Torres Strait Islander Studies course was taught in the Indigenous way, and elders were involved throughout, from formatting the course outline to the running…

Examines the importance and centrality of orality, rather than literacy, in the shared lives of the Cree of northern Alberta. Discusses orality consciousness related to the practice of shared memories and personal and communal healing during the "dance of the ancestors" or "ghost dance." Includes a short history of the Cree…

Offers suggestions for using folk tales from around the world and story-telling for classroom instruction. Because folk tales are ultimately about communication and the way people in a society interact, a multi-cultural class can make good use of them. Offers examples for application to language arts and social science courses. (Contains 9…

Describes an initiative to incorporate folktales and legends from francophone West Africa into a college-level advanced French literary and cultural studies course. Students recorded their reactions to various texts taken from France and West Africa in reading journals. Analysis of the journals shows that critical competencies in Western culture…

Presents a report on a study of the organization of oral data in libraries and archives in the United States and Canada. The management, collection, processing, and dissemination of materials in 10 documentation centers was investigated. (Author/JKP)

Investigates a hypothesis that concerns the importance of storytelling as an infrastructure that serves to create, transmit, and authenticate folklore based on a collection of Puerto Rican children's folktales with the character of Juan Bobo. Discusses cultural identity and boundaries, oral traditions, classification of folktales, and future…