If this is Your Land, where are Your Stories?: Finding Common Ground“We need to understand our stories because our lives depend upon it.” -- Ted Chamberlin The stories we tell each other reflect and shape our deepest feelings. Stories help us live our lives -- and are at the heart of our current conflicts. We love and hate because of them; we make homes for ourselves and drive others out on the basis of ancient tales. As Ted Chamberlin vividly reveals, we are both connected by them and separated by their different truths. Whether Jew or Arab, black or white, Muslim or Christian, Catholic or Protestant, man or woman, our stories hold us in thrall and hold others at bay. Like the work of Joseph Campbell and Bruce Chatwin, this vital, engrossing book offers a new way to understand the hold that stories and songs have on us, and a new sense of the urgency of doing so. Drawing on his own experience in many fields -- as scholar and storyteller, witness among native peoples and across cultures -- Ted Chamberlin takes us on a journey through the tales of different peoples, from North America to Africa and Jamaica. Beautifully written, with insight and deep understanding, If This Is Your Land, Where Are Your Stories? examines why it is now more important than ever to attend to what others are saying in their stories and myths -- and what we are saying about ourselves. Only then will we understand why they have such power over us. From the Hardcover edition. |
From inside the book
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Page 52
The outrage of aboriginal refugees in Australia and elsewhere arises out of a
conviction that their land has been polluted and their sacred places desecrated ,
as surely as the statue of the Buddha was destroyed by the Taliban .
The outrage of aboriginal refugees in Australia and elsewhere arises out of a
conviction that their land has been polluted and their sacred places desecrated ,
as surely as the statue of the Buddha was destroyed by the Taliban .
Page 69
We talk of “ sacred places ” as if there were other , non - sacred places . We talk
of getting back to nature , as if we could possibly ever tear ourselves away . But
there is no other place , there is only this one entirely natural world , and the ...
We talk of “ sacred places ” as if there were other , non - sacred places . We talk
of getting back to nature , as if we could possibly ever tear ourselves away . But
there is no other place , there is only this one entirely natural world , and the ...
Page 70
pleasing , but no more sacred , less changed by human endeavour or human
failure , but no more natural . We may not go as far as Holthaus , but there is
wisdom in his reminder that we cannot choose between the sacred and the
natural , any ...
pleasing , but no more sacred , less changed by human endeavour or human
failure , but no more natural . We may not go as far as Holthaus , but there is
wisdom in his reminder that we cannot choose between the sacred and the
natural , any ...
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Contents
Introduction | 1 |
LOSING | 74 |
REALITY AND THE IMAGINATION | 94 |
Copyright | |
6 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
If This Is Your Land, Where Are Your Stories?: Finding Common Ground J. Edward Chamberlin Limited preview - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
aboriginal American Americas asked Australia become beginning believe bring called century ceremony choice civilized claim comes contradiction course cowboys cultures death described dream English fact faith father feel Gitksan give hand happen heart hold horses human hundred idea imagination important Indian John kind knew land language later listen live look meaning metaphor mind mountains move native natural Navajo never North once poem poet question reality recognize remark represented rhymes river sacred seemed sense settlers side sing society sometimes sounds speak spirits stories and songs storytellers strange talking tell things thought told traditions translated true truth turned understand West wonder write written
Bibliographic information
| Title | If this is Your Land, where are Your Stories?: Finding Common Ground |
| Author | J. Edward Chamberlin |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Vintage Canada, 2004 |
| ISBN | 0676974929, 9780676974928 |
| Length | 271 pages |
| Subjects | › › History / Modern / General Social Science / Anthropology / Cultural & Social Social Science / Customs & Traditions Social Science / General Social Science / Sociology / Marriage & Family |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |