This paper discusses the concept of character formation as it can be positively impacted by folk arts in education. A long-standing tradition in U.S. education is for the teacher to take a leading role in molding the character of young people, as outlined through the years by such scholars as Thomas Jefferson, Horace Mann, and Rachel Davis DuBois.…

Reports on views of storytellers on children's work with stories. Offers ideas to teachers on effective ways to tap into the oral tradition of storytelling. (TB)

The Anishinabe language is alive, and Anishinabe world view is embedded in it. It is important to continue speaking the language because not doing so contributes to language loss and the undermining of the Anishinabe world view. Dictionaries can help in preserving Native languages, but they must be written by Natives from a Native perspective. The…

Discusses how the stories passed on from Native American tribal elders can preserve Indian cultural history, mutual dependence, respect for nature, and values rooted in tribal culture. (HTH)

Examines various narratives about literacy, and how they influence the thinking of people in composition studies. Uses J. Lyotard's notions of the grand narratives of modernism and the little narratives of postmodernism to examine: conflicted politics of composition studies; the relationship of theory and ideology; ethical questions of research;…

Storytelling has existed as a style of leadership in many cultures for countless generations. Storytelling organizes complex patterns of ideas into functional processing models. Stories often by analogy actively restructure the listener's approaches to the issues involved. In this context, a successful story contains all of the essential elements…

Teaching school-aged children about the struggle for civil rights in the United States is a curricular objective. Schools have established traditions for teaching the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., and for celebrating Black History Month through the month of February. Using literature written for children is one tool that can be used to increase…

Suggests that teachers of African American students have an obligation to familiarize themselves with some of the important differences in their students' language and culture that affect their learning in the classroom. Describes the rich oral tradition and group-centered ethos of African American culture. (RS)

Details how storytelling could function as a rich, multicultural pedagogy. Explores how storytelling can be grounded in the oral traditions of African and East Indian cultures. Locates a series of skills that emerge from storytelling activities. (RS)

Argues that the history of punctuation in the English-speaking world offers tangible evidence for the evolving interplay between speech and writing. (Author/VWL)

Argues that no real divide exists between oral and written transmission, but rather a dynamic relationship between the two, an approach described as the "ecological" model. The article selects examples from Talmudic tradition that reinforce this model. The article concludes that although historical exigency requires written storage of…

The effect of law on research and scholarship is amply illustrated by the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and other statutes, which, when they impel reburial of archaeological discoveries, result in a very real sacrificing of our past. In this case, the Act seems driven by a misguided notion that anthropology is not the…

Historically, among American Indians, the respect for the power of language has been expressed through the oral tradition: stories, myths, folklore, poetry, and song. As life experience has changed for American Indians, they continue to value these stories, recording tribal oral tradition as well as personal biography and life history. The status…

The works of women African writers such as Bessie Head, Mariama Ba, Buchi Emecheta, and Flora Nwapa have become increasingly familiar to North American college students during the past decade, largely through their inclusion on feminist reading lists. Because the pedagogical value of these texts lies in their presumed ability to speak for African…

Addresses the importance and features of Native American oral literature, discusses the heightened interest of publishers in producing books with Native American stories for children, and describes problems in many of these works. Issues of authenticity are discussed, and examples of nonfiction and fiction works that provide accurate information…