Oral Traditions

“The Elders would serve as mnemonic pegs to each other. They will be speaking individually uninterrupted in a circle one after another. When each Elder spoke they were conscious that other Elders would serve as ‘peer reviewer’ [and so] they did not delve into subject matter that would be questionable. They did joke with each other and they told stories, some true and some a bit exaggerated but in the end the result was a collective memory. This is the part which is exciting because when each Elder arrived they brought with them a piece of the knowledge puzzle. They had to reach back to the teachings of their parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents. These teachings were shared in the circle and these constituted a reconnaissance of collective memory and knowledge. In the end the Elders left with a knowledge that was built by the collectivity”

                                                                                   (Stephen J. Augustine, 2008, p. 2-3).

 

Connecting with the Five Rs

  • Relevance: How is this oral tradition relevant to Indigenous ways of knowing and being?​

  • Respect: Am I following protocols and practices that make me ready to share this oral tradition?​

  • Reciprocity: How will sharing this oral tradition give back to the peoples/communities I am speaking of/for?​

  •  Responsibility: How is sharing this oral tradition committed to reconciliation, decolonization or/and Indigenous sovereignty?​

  • Relationships: How will sharing this oral tradition connect the listeners to the experiences of Indigenous peoples in order to hold themselves accountable to their complicity in the continuous violences Indigenous peoples encounter?

 

 

Reading: 

 Stephen J. Augustine, “Oral Histories and Oral Traditions,” in Aboriginal Oral Traditions: Theory, Practice, Ethics, ed. Renée Hulan and Renate Eigenbrod (Halifax: Fernwood Publishing, 2008)

 

Pedagogical Example: 

Podcasting at Home by Teachings In The Air https://www.teachingsintheair.ca/blog/podcasting-at-home

 

 

Learn More:

Indigenous Oral Histories and Primary Sources inside The Canadian Encyclopedia https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/indigenous-oral-histories-and-primary-sources 

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