http://wisdomoftheelders.org Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:52:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://wisdomoftheelders.org/2011/06/15/turtle-island-storyteller-esther-stutzman/#comment-4 Copyrighting culture | LUTE Times Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:52:27 +0000 http://wp.wisdomoftheelders.org/2011/06/15/turtle-island-storyteller-esther-stutzman/#comment-4 [...] Esther Stutzman, from the Kalapuya and Coos tribes, is an elder member with Wisdom of the Elders, a storytelling association closely tied to NISA. Stutzman and other elders discussed the importance of stories in their tribal and familial traditions. For Native Americans, stories are much more than entertainment for children — they are fables intended to educate, inspire and guide. Stutzman said when stories are told, they are given as gifts from the storyteller’s family, and listeners are told whether they may retell the story or not. She said keeping stories safe and, most importantly, true to their original form is integral in maintaining cultural integrity. [...] [...] Esther Stutzman, from the Kalapuya and Coos tribes, is an elder member with Wisdom of the Elders, a storytelling association closely tied to NISA. Stutzman and other elders discussed the importance of stories in their tribal and familial traditions. For Native Americans, stories are much more than entertainment for children — they are fables intended to educate, inspire and guide. Stutzman said when stories are told, they are given as gifts from the storyteller’s family, and listeners are told whether they may retell the story or not. She said keeping stories safe and, most importantly, true to their original form is integral in maintaining cultural integrity. [...]

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