In general terms, I agree with your points, except in the case of the Australian Aboriginal material. This is the oldest currently surviving culture on earth. The current stories detail periods when the sea level was much lower and the long extinct volcanos were active. They are of immense age. But what is most interesting, "the land still speaks the stories". Those who have been initiated into the higher levels can be put in an area out side their knowledge and they can "read" the story and find their way around and locate sites etc. The problem is when some people get a little knowledge and start trying to do the same thing. We have people strip mining by writing books they have no right to publish and even people running tourist ventures. In Australia we have the same thing with people doing the same thing to other cultures. We have one man who has taught over eight hundred people to make and use Indian Medicine drums as an example. You would not believe the number of people houses full of Indian icons, little, if any is make by an Indian. I would not like to see the same thing happen to the Aboriginal.
Gil jsherry wrote: > <<Even with this, to understand that they are > not ours to tell, is to give the respect their culture deserves.>> > > Perhaps when all indigenous populations have been wiped out or totally > silenced you will feel it is ok to tell their stories? > > I do not understand this kind of thinking. If we didn't pass on stories that > were not ours to tell, you would not tell your children fairy tales. We live > in a world rich with stories. It seems to me more important to tell the > story and the sources or voices who originally told such tales. > > There are many oral traditions that have died out because there weren't > those who were interested enough or were killed off and were unable to > continue the tale. > > I vote for all stories in their polyglot richness to be told and credited. > > Blessings, > Jane
