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
Results 1-5 of 47
Page 1
... told a story . All of a sudden everyone understood ... even though the government foresters didn't know a word of Gitksan , and neither did some of his Gitksan companions . But what they understood was more important : how stories give ...
... told a story . All of a sudden everyone understood ... even though the government foresters didn't know a word of Gitksan , and neither did some of his Gitksan companions . But what they understood was more important : how stories give ...
Page 10
... told their stories and sang their songs . But at the end of the day they didn't convince the judge , whose name was Allan McEachern , of anything other than their barbaric behaviour . Since the Gitksan ancestors had " no horses , no ...
... told their stories and sang their songs . But at the end of the day they didn't convince the judge , whose name was Allan McEachern , of anything other than their barbaric behaviour . Since the Gitksan ancestors had " no horses , no ...
Page 20
... told the history of their people with all the ritual it required , for the stories and songs that represent their past — ada'ox , they call them are about belief . On one occasion another elder , Antgulilibix ( Mary Johnson ) , was ...
... told the history of their people with all the ritual it required , for the stories and songs that represent their past — ada'ox , they call them are about belief . On one occasion another elder , Antgulilibix ( Mary Johnson ) , was ...
Page 22
... told it in Cayuga . So he wanted to tell it in a language understood by the younger generation . Many of the other elders were adamantly opposed ; but he did it anyway . What should he have done ? His intentions were certainly ...
... told it in Cayuga . So he wanted to tell it in a language understood by the younger generation . Many of the other elders were adamantly opposed ; but he did it anyway . What should he have done ? His intentions were certainly ...
Page 26
... told who they were and why they belonged right there . It is interesting to compare the constitutions of the State of Montana and of the United States to illustrate how different kinds of communities in different times and places ...
... told who they were and why they belonged right there . It is interesting to compare the constitutions of the State of Montana and of the United States to illustrate how different kinds of communities in different times and places ...
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