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 inside the book
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Page 1
... Indian community in northwest British Columbia and some government officials . The officials claimed the land for the government . The natives were astonished by the claim . They couldn't understand what these relative newcomers were ...
... Indian community in northwest British Columbia and some government officials . The officials claimed the land for the government . The natives were astonished by the claim . They couldn't understand what these relative newcomers were ...
Page 11
... Indians , " were to be considered human ; whether their morals were those of a civilized society or barbaric ; and — this was the crux of the matter for the settlers whether their dispossession and enslavement were justifiable . The ...
... Indians , " were to be considered human ; whether their morals were those of a civilized society or barbaric ; and — this was the crux of the matter for the settlers whether their dispossession and enslavement were justifiable . The ...
Page 12
... Indians were incapable of orderly living , he asserted , being disobedient by nature ; they should therefore be subjected to rule , including enslavement . On the other side was Bartolomé de Las Casas , a settler and sometime priest ...
... Indians were incapable of orderly living , he asserted , being disobedient by nature ; they should therefore be subjected to rule , including enslavement . On the other side was Bartolomé de Las Casas , a settler and sometime priest ...
Page 18
... Indian youth in his own barbarous dialect is a positive detriment to him . The impracticability , if not impossibility , of civilizing the Indians of this country in any other tongue than our own would seem obvious , " said the United ...
... Indian youth in his own barbarous dialect is a positive detriment to him . The impracticability , if not impossibility , of civilizing the Indians of this country in any other tongue than our own would seem obvious , " said the United ...
Page 27
... Indians came by a bridge across the Bering Strait from Russia ; and she took me to see the dinosaur bones up in the badlands by Drumheller . " Were there Indians around then ? " I asked . " Indians have been here forever , " she ...
... Indians came by a bridge across the Bering Strait from Russia ; and she took me to see the dinosaur bones up in the badlands by Drumheller . " Were there Indians around then ? " I asked . " Indians have been here forever , " she ...
Contents
1 | |
8 | |
LOSING | 74 |
REALITY AND THE IMAGINATION | 94 |
To Be or Not to Be | 118 |
RIDDLES AND CHARMS | 160 |
CEREMONIES OF BELIEF | 192 |
Beyond Conflict | 198 |
Notes | 241 |
Permissions | 253 |
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Common terms and phrases
aboriginal Americas asked Australia become beginning believe bring called century ceremony choice civilized comes contradiction course cowboys cultures death described dream English especially fact faith father feel Gitksan give 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 United West wonder writing written