![]() ![]() But as our society modernizes it’s become harder to keep these traditions alive.”įor the C.I.T.C., the challenge was to find a way to preserve the community’s stories in a way that could withstand modernity. “Our people have passed down knowledge and wisdom through stories for thousands of years-almost all of this orally-and storytellers are incredibly respected members of society. of E-Line Media, a publisher of educational video games, and of the Cook Inlet Tribal Council (C.I.T.C.), a nonprofit group that serves the Iñupiat and other Alaska Natives, said. “As is common for indigenous peoples who are also part of a modern nation, it’s been increasingly difficult to maintain our traditions and cultural heritage,” Amy Fredeen, the C.F.O. Over the past few decades, advances in technology and communication have opened up the community to a flood of other stories delivered in new ways. ![]() The Iñupiat’s oral tradition, however, is at risk. In the calm eye of the storm, he finds a man heaving shovelfuls of snow into the air, oblivious that they gather and grow into the squalls battering Kunuuksaayuka’s home downstream. The story of Kunuuksaayuka, for example, is a simple tale of how our actions affect others: a boy named Kunuuksaayuka goes on a journey to identify the source of a savage blizzard. They act as seeds of moral instruction and help to define and preserve the community’s identity. Like all enduring fiction, the stories deliver truths that transcend cultural shifts. For more than three thousand years, the Iñupiat people of Alaska have passed on stories to their children.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |