[Stones] Some stones in Vermont, USA

[Ric]

  [quote]“None of us would survive without stories and without family,” Bruchac said. “And the truth is, it’s the stories of family that hold us together. They remind us who we are, where we come from and then hopefully guide us, so we have some idea of where we are going.[unquote]
   
  'did you know we are ruled by tv?'
   
  Jim Morrison
   
  not only stories are falling silent in Western culture, but communication within families is, i believe, breaking down: this is fine by governments - people who can't think or communicate effectively are very easy to influence and dominate. this is possibly the shape of things to come? Orwell saw this  almost 60 years ago ...
   
  ric
   
  
David Shugarts <David.Shugarts at AzimuthComm.com> wrote:
  

It was the photo of a small formation of standing stones that initially startled me.

I had several reasons for looking into the Abenakis, but one of them was because my son, who is also a journalist, had just reported on a couple of storytellers that came to Connecticut. The husband is of Scottish descent and the wife is Abenaki. They came to tell traditional stories and also to speak for the tribes represented at the first Thanksgiving, which was nothing like the depiction that has been given to American students for many decades in their history books.

I will extract the story below. It illustrates Nancy’s point that some are preserving their traditions quietly. I was able to listen to a few audio files of the session and the stories were delightful.

--Dave Shugarts

========================================
Waterbury Republican-American
Sunday, November 26, 2006


Oral tradition kept alive through storytelling
40 turn out to hear tales from Indian couple


BY JONATHAN SHUGARTS
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

  WASHINGTON, Conn. — Sometimes the message is not in the story, but in how it is told.

  For Marge Bruchac, an Abenaki American Indian, storytelling has been a way to convey the tales of her people’s past and the direction of their future to a variety of audiences. About 40 people listened to Bruchac and her husband, Justin Kennick, on Saturday at the Institute for American Indian Studies.

  “Some of the best stories are told when there is a little frost on the ground,” Bruchac said to the audience. “The reason for this is that some of these stories are so powerful that if they are told in the summer time, in the spring, in the early autumn, the fish might forget to swim up river, the plants might forget to grow.”

  The couple told of creationism, ice ages, the first settlers landing in the country and American Indians who traveled across the oceans. Part of why people pay attention to the her, Bruchac said, is that she has an ability to modulate the tone of her voice, and assess an audience to see what way would be best to communicate a story. Kennick, calls his wife the “velvet hammer” because of the way she can alter the story telling to fit the personality of the audience, varying from soft murmurs to loud singing, all in one story. She uses pauses effectively, and accompanies her talks with the banging of a drum or a melody played on a hand-carved wooden pipe.

  The couple dresses in the traditional clothing of the 1600s — a blend of dyed cloth from Europe and native ani&shy;mal skins, such as deer. This is the result of trading that went on between American Indians and Europeans. This blending of cultures even makes its way into musical instruments. The “rattle” sound in a traditional native rattle, is actually lead shot, Bruchac said.

  “I would much rather hear lead shot in a rattle, than coming out of a gun,” she said.

  Tribal elders of the Abenaki, as well as other tribes, are selective about who they share their stories with, Bruchac said. Largely, paper trails proving heritage don’t exist, so members of the tribe have a reliance on oral traditions.

  Not only is Bruchac a skilled weaver of words, but she is also a Ph.D candidate at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and has worked as a museum consultant. The couple has told tales at Mystic Seaport and Sturbridge Village, as well as festivals in the region.

  Lori Crosby listened to Bruchac with her husband, Dan Crosby, and their 9-year&shy;old daughter, Rachel. She was impressed by the interaction Bruchac and her husband had with the audience, especially in the way she kept the audience’s attention. “As I was listening to her, I thought, is this what is missing in our culture, the passing down of stories through generations?”  Lori Crosby said.

  For Bruchac, it’s about keeping tradition alive by not forgetting the stories of the past.

  “None of us would survive without stories and without family,” Bruchac said. “And the truth is, it’s the stories of family that hold us together. They remind us who we are, where we come from and then hopefully guide us, so we have some idea of where we are going.
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