Can an Oral Tradition be Written?

For those of a European mindset, the stories and lore of Native Americans can oftentimes be confusing and difficult. Clearly different in content, delivery, and a sense of time, it can easily be seen that there are many obstacles one faces when seeking to understand the literature of the Native American people. Still, what exactly is it that has caused such distinctly different ways of thinking and has ultimately given way to the starkly contrasting mindsets of the average European-American and a Native American? The most forthright reason would be language, specifically, the fact that Native American history comes from a distinctly oral tradition where as that of Europe and her descendants has developed and depended on the written word. The former created a culture whose focus was on survival by living with the land, and because nothing was recorded, needed outlandish (yet memorable) stories to pass along this vital information along. The latter system preserved necessary information through notation, and therefore sought concrete facts in hopes of passing along exact, linear histories which were subsequently far removed from the mnemonics and fantasy tales of the Natives. With these two methods dictating the type and accuracy of information handed between generations, it is only logical to see how language is ultimately responsible for creating what has become two rather unique and equally opposite mindsets. Yet, given that oral tradition and written history have produced distinctly different groups of people, there is still the question: Can these opposing forms of language ever combine, and if so, would the results even be desirable?

Starting with the first explorers and continuing with the colonization of the Americas, oral tradition and written history have constantly been colliding and encountering one another. However, it was not until someone decided to record the stories of the Native Americans that the two would finally be combined and start a unique form of literature unlike anything Europe had to offer. Now their legends, myths, and stories would be accessible not only to those outside of the tribe, but also to those who were not even of the race. This opens Native American culture up to a completely new world of outer influence and scrutiny. Now one can consider the overall effects (whether negative or positive) of writing down what was once a strictly oral literature.

Until they were written down, stories of creation, tricksters, and their people’s origins were exclusive, meaning if one was not part of the tribe, then they would not have access or knowledge of such tales. This was probably a way that individual tribes were able to create and sustain such strong ties between their people as it was these stories that not only tied the generations together, but to know them would make one exclusively Kiowa, Pueblo, Iroquois…, and no one else. However, after they had been collected and transcribed, everyone could be privileged to the wisdom and knowledge that were previously sacred symbols of tribe solidarity. Yes, sharing knowledge is a positive key and a must for education, but there is arguably a great sense of hurt that comes from losing what was probably an important bond existing only within members of that tribe who spoke the language.

Perhaps the most negative outcome of writing down what was meant to be an oral is the complete loss in delivery that can only accompany the recital or performance of a story. The breakdown in form becomes more evident when one considers how abrupt and sporadic the style is of a written Native American story. Because these tales were never meant to be written or to be told by just one person, they are not constructed in the typical fashion of having a beginning, middle, and end with a constant narrator. The outcome is a story that can be unclear, or even seem as though it completely lacks any sense. Furthermore, this can lead the reader to miss the point, or dismiss as foolish what is a wonderful story. Though sad, such a consequence is unavoidable as there is no way to convey the same delivery in a written tradition as there is in an oral one. Nevertheless, despite whatever downfall one may find with recording oral tradition, it has successfully opened Native American culture to the rest of the world, and thus preserved it as an essential and integral part of early American literature.