An Oratory Tradition

Storytelling has been a part of southern culture for thousands of years. In the Americas, storytelling began with the First Nations, and developed into a major key to our cultural identity. Our traditional stories are organized under four different categories: our history, folktales, legends, and joke telling.

It may seem odd, but our history is not written. We pass down our history through generations. Stories of family genealogy and culture are passed directly from the mouth of one to the ears of another. Some stories are recorded, but to share them outside the family is frowned upon because our stories are sacred. To share something sacred is to put it in danger, as storytelling is often personal to the bard themself. Despite the fact that our history remains vastly unwritten, the same stories have been passed down through hundreds of generations, and will be passed down for hundreds of generations to come, so we always know where we began.

Folktales are told mostly for amusement. Historically, during pow-wows and stomp dances, these tales are shared between nations, like one would tell a campfire story. Many folktales told to children have a lesson within them, and have long been a traditional parenting method within the indigenous community. Just like our historical tales, the same folktales have been shared for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

Legends are a bit different from the other categories, as they take place in more recent eras. They carry an air of history, but cannot be proven as fact. A good example would be the Fountain of Youth, or a pirate’s lost treasure. While considered by many to be myths, these legends within our community serve to further complement our long-standing tradition.

Joke-telling has been a favorite pastime of the First Nations for centuries. Laughter is seen as “good medicine”- meaning it is good for the spirit and can uplift the heart. Told as a form of amusement, or to poke fun at a friend, these jokes are often told in English. However, they are often told using a regional First Nation vernacular, making it unique to each nation. Many non-natives will not be able to understand or speak these vernaculars, which could be compared to Gullah English or even Cajun English, so many of these jokes strike a chord only in our people. This makes it one of the most precious pieces of our culture, as it is sure to bring good medicine to whoever needs it.

-Avery Ross, Muskogee Creek Nation