Aboriginal Storytelling Culture

Aboriginal Storytelling Culture

Every society in the world, past and present, has had its stories and storytellers. Storytelling is an oral sharing of personal or traditional stories and is one of the earliest art forms. Some honoured Aboriginal storytellers orally shared stories and others used sand paintings and pictures drawn on animal hides, and stones to illustrate the stories as they retold them. B.C.’s First Nations have relied on the oral transmission of stories, histories, lessons and other knowledge to maintain a historical record, sustain their cultures and identities, and as a form of entertainment. Cultural languages, norms, traditions, gender roles and humour, were all transmitted through oral storytelling. Traditional Aboriginal storytellers earned the right to be a
The principles of Aboriginal creation mythology are intertwined with the natural world, and frequently include animals that act as creators, messengers, protectors, guardians, and advisers. The animals in Aboriginal stories often possess human qualities, and have the ability to speak, think, and act like humans. Some Aboriginal stories are told only during certain seasons, at a particular time of day, or in specific places. Many of the Aboriginal stories are only shared during special ceremonies. Furthermore, some Aboriginal stories are also meant to be heard only by specific people. Aboriginal stories often teach important lessons about a given society’s culture, the land, and the ways in which members are expected to interact with each other and their environment. The passing on of these stories from generation to generation keeps the social order intact. Different Aboriginal groups have different stories, or different versions of creation myths that they share with their own cultural