Approaching Authenticity: The Integrity of Storytelling

As has become clear during our studies throughout the course thus far, storytelling and its practice carries a great deal of importance in Aboriginal communities. It is through their oral traditions that many different groups pass cultural information from one generation to another, retaining the history of their people without it’s transcription (in many cases). I found it interesting while researching the topic, that many stories are purposely not written down in order to preserve the tradition of sharing knowledge, culture, and history orally. Whether it be through the telling of a creation story, sharing of traditional ecological knowledge, or accounts of recent history, the oral traditions of Aboriginal communities has enabled the sharing of a considerably large amount of information over a long period of time.

So, of course one might wonder how this information is maintained in its original form. In other words, considering how it might be deemed “authentic.”

Keith Carlson discusses the significant consequences that lie behind asking this question, and challenging the “authenticity” of narratives in Aboriginal communities. Carlson states that to “raise the question of ‘authenticity’ is to challenge not only the narrative but also the ‘truth’ behind Salish ways of knowing “(59). To explain this he essentially describes this questioning as a challenge to the cultural integrity of a community, due to the fact that over time Aboriginal communities have placed a great deal of importance in the need to “get the story right” (Carlson 58). As he describes of the Salish people, ancestral spirits are very concerned with the accuracy and honour of their own stories, and will cause bad things to happen to those who do not tell them correctly.

In other words, retaining the original composition of a story as it was when it came into existence is an important aspect of storytelling in Indigenous culture. So, to question the authenticity of a story is to ultimately challenge the cultural integrity of the community in which it is told. It is important to realize this and have an awareness of the questions that we ask, as well as the ways that we ask them. Carlson discusses how without this consideration, we all have the potential to “insult the people who share the stories and thereby reduce the likelihood of their generosity continuing” (56).

Thus, while we interact with cultures outside of our own, we must consider the differences that the word “authenticity” carries in terms of storytelling. It may mean retaining the original form of the story as is a priority for many Aboriginal groups, or providing supporting evidence as is often considered valuable in Western literature. Ideally, the sharing of stories between cultures with differing definitions of what a legitimate story looks like should be approached with a foundation of respect for the purpose and integrity of the stories.

Works Cited

“11 Things you should know about Aboriginal Oral Traditions.” Indigenous Corporate Training. 04 Nov. 2014. Web. https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/11-things-you-should-know-about-aboriginal-oral-traditions. 19 Feb. 2020.

Carlson, Keith Thor. “Orality and Literacy: The ‘Black and White’ of Salish History.” Orality & Literacy: Reflectins Across Disciplines. 43-72. Print.

Fernandez-Llamazares, A. & Carbeza, M. “Rediscovering the Potential of Indigenous Storytelling for Conservation Practice.” Conservation Letters, vol. 11, no. 3, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12398. Accessed 19 Nov. 2020.