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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... fact, what we do is learn to dismiss others who haven't grown up exactly like us as incorrigible babblers and doodlers. And eventually the distinction becomes one of the ways we divide the world into Them and Us. There are those who ...
... fact, what we do is learn to dismiss others who haven't grown up exactly like us as incorrigible babblers and doodlers. And eventually the distinction becomes one of the ways we divide the world into Them and Us. There are those who ...
Page 8
... fact , what we do is learn to dismiss others who haven't grown up exactly like us as incorrigible babblers and doodlers . And eventually the distinction becomes one of the ways we divide the world into Them and Us . There are those who ...
... fact , what we do is learn to dismiss others who haven't grown up exactly like us as incorrigible babblers and doodlers . And eventually the distinction becomes one of the ways we divide the world into Them and Us . There are those who ...
Page 9
... fact that they wouldn't say anything disrespectful of her . But eating peas with a knife seemed to them sort of well , " barbaric " would be a good word . Having failed the first time , I tried once again to balance the peas . Then ...
... fact that they wouldn't say anything disrespectful of her . But eating peas with a knife seemed to them sort of well , " barbaric " would be a good word . Having failed the first time , I tried once again to balance the peas . Then ...
Page 14
... fact that they could not be translated . There's an old Italian pun on traduttore and traditore . The first means " translator " ; the second " traitor . " Untranslatability is an ancient value , and one that my parents called upon when ...
... fact that they could not be translated . There's an old Italian pun on traduttore and traditore . The first means " translator " ; the second " traitor . " Untranslatability is an ancient value , and one that my parents called upon when ...
Page 20
... fact arenas of strictly defined and highly formalized oral traditions , in which certain things must be said and done in the right order by the right people on the right occasions with the right people present . We are , all of us ...
... fact arenas of strictly defined and highly formalized oral traditions , in which certain things must be said and done in the right order by the right people on the right occasions with the right people present . We are , all of us ...
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