An oral approach

Traditional stories can often provide a rich insight into ancient cultures. Professor Chieko Hayashi discusses her latest research on Alaska Native literary traditions and explains why they still resonate today

Natives’ traditions. However, many of those literature. How do these compare? stories have been lost or forgotten because peoples’ lifestyles have greatly changed. My One might think it is impossible to study both hope is that Alaska Natives’ stories could old oral narratives and modern literature. serve as a reminder to the Japanese about But, just as knowledge about Christianity is their own traditional narratives, enabling necessary to understand English literature, them to see their own tradition in a new light. the modern literature of Alaska Natives is The other objective of my project is to find never separated from the old oral tradition.

PROFESSOR CHIEKO HAYASHI CHIEKO PROFESSOR an alternative literary education for young William Schneider states that most Alaska people. The storytelling of Alaska Natives, Natives grow up with a deep appreciation such as Tlingit, represents good practice in for what they learnt from their elders and a literary education for school children. I have sense of responsibility for passing on the oral been trying to find a method of storytelling narratives. As their elders or mothers told using Japanese folklores. them, the native writers seem to carefully hand down their cherished stories to readers Why were you attracted to Alaska and try to deliver important messages. Native culture? Your studies have focused primarily on the Your project focuses on the narratives Many Japanese people are familiar with the Tlingit. Could you provide an insight into of Alaska Natives. Could you outline the Alaskan lifestyle because of the influence of this culture? content of this research and explain the Japanese writers. Michio Hoshino, a renowned key issues at stake? Japanese photographer and writer, took The Tlingit people are the dominant native incredibly beautiful photos of people and group of Southeast Alaska. Since first contact I am researching the oral narratives of Alaska’s wildlife in Alaska. He developed friendships with them, Europeans have been interested indigenous people. Collectively referred to as with many Alaskans and wrote essays about in their culture. The Tlingit are renowned Alaska Natives, they can be divided into six their culture and lifestyle. His essays gave me for their totem poles, elaborately carved major groups based on cultural and linguistic access to Alaska Natives. wooden bowls, ocean-faring canoes, Chilkat similarities. I study the narratives of Alaska robes and cultural events, including the Indians, mainly Tlingit and Haida, and also the For me, the starting point to studying Native ceremony ‘potlatch.’ But, as Tlingit poet modern literary works of Tlingit, Haida and American narratives was The Walking People and writer Nora Marks Dauenhauer warns, Athabaskan. Alaska Native literature seems to by Paula Underwood. It is an oral history of many aspects of these traditional cultures be relatively unknown outside of Alaska, but Oneida, one of the five first nations of the are often misunderstood by outsiders. One has recently attracted international attention. Iroquois Confederacy. This story stretches over aspect we should be particularly careful about The aim of my work is to clarify the deeper a period of 10,000 years and even includes is that these artifacts are not simply ‘art’ as meaning of the simple ancient narratives the episode of peoples’ movements from we expect. For example, totem poles and and modern literary works, with the help Asia to North America via the Bering Strait. stories are inseparably connected with the of both linguists and anthropologists. I also I was impressed by how carefully the Native social structures of these cultures. Stories aim to explain why these narratives are still Americans preserved their stories and the and artistic designs are considered to be the important today. wisdom their stories convey. When I started property of a particular clan, representing my study of Native American literatures in their history. One cannot take a story they One of your main objectives is to introduce 1999, many more books by Alaska Native happen to like and interpret it without giving Alaska Natives’ narratives to Japanese writers were being published. a thought to the correct understanding of the people. What do you hope to achieve? story’s cultural and social contexts. In short, You study traditional oral narratives of stories are vital for the Tlingit to survive as a Japanese people have cherished their own Alaska Natives, as well as their modern people and maintain their culture. oral tradition and, interestingly, they have similar folklores to those found in Alaska

108 INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION PROFESSOR CHIEKO HAYASHI Treasuring traditional tales

In an increasingly complex world, preserving and understanding ancient oral narratives is ever more important. A research project based at Kyoto Institute of Technology, Japan, seeks to uncover the meaning of Alaska Native stories and apply them to the present day

CULTURE REFERS TO the customs and six major groups, based on broad cultural and social behaviour of specific people groups and linguistic similarities: Unangan or Aleut, Sugpiaq societies. Understanding different cultures is or Alutiiq (Pacific Eskimos), Yupiit (Bering a vital part of fathoming what it means to be Sea Eskimos), Inupiat (Northern Eskimos), human and valuing the diversity that exists in Athabaskans (Interior Indians) and Tlingit the world. Access to different cultures is often and Haida (Southeast Coastal Indians). While facilitated by analysing languages, as well as these different indigenous groups have distinct traditional stories and oral narratives. Native customs and oral traditions, they all share a American author Leslie Marmon Silko makes an history characterised by loss. Approximately argument for the importance of stories when 80,000 indigenous people lived in Alaska Tlingit Oral Narratives discussing the Pueblo people, stressing that oral in the mid-18th Century, but this declined narratives help them to maintain and transmit to about 25,000 in 1909 due to a deadly an entire culture, a world view complete with combination of disease and conflict. The losses awarded to Alaska Native students since the Act proven strategies for survival. Conversely, if experienced by Alaska Natives are not purely was passed. This has enabled many indigenous ancient and deeply rooted stories of indigenous physical; exposed to a capitalist economy, their people to access higher education, giving them peoples are lost, this can jeopardise the traditional subsistence lifestyles have changed greater incentives and opportunities to write. basis of their entire culture and lead to the dramatically, threatening both their cultures disappearance of invaluable skills and wisdom and languages. WORLDWIDE RECOGNITION necessary for human survival. Ironically, this loss of language and culture Since 1999, Hayashi has focused on studying Professor Chieko Hayashi is passionate about has resulted in an upsurge of modern Alaska the oral narratives of Alaska Natives, mainly understanding traditional stories and applying Native literature. Spurred by a desire to concentrating on Tlingit stories (which have them to contemporary society. Based at Kyoto preserve traditional languages and stories, been largely explained and recorded by Nora Institute of Technology in Japan, she is currently many researchers, especially at the University of Marks Dauenhauer) and stories from the conducting extensive research into Native Alaska, have taken steps to record oral narratives Haida and Athabaskan people groups. She also Alaskan traditional oral narratives and modern and deliver academic courses to people in rural devotes her attention to modern literary works literary works. She aims to present these regions of the state through satellite-assisted of the Tlingit, Haida and Athabaskan peoples in narratives to Japanese people, simultaneously audio conferencing. This has led to an increased the oral tradition. acquainting them with the oral traditions and number of Alaska Natives writing down their history of another culture and encouraging own traditional stories in a quest to find and While Native American literature has become them to reconsider their own. She is also keen to preserve their complex identities. broadly accepted as a mainstream component apply her research to the classroom, in the form of American literature at large, Alaska Native of developing an alternative literary education The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act literature has not enjoyed the same recognition for Japanese school children. (ANCSA), passed by US Congress in 1971, outside Alaska. However, Hayashi notes that has also impacted Alaska Native cultures. with the advent of a new generation of Native In addition to establishing native regional Alaska writers, this is beginning to change. LOSS AND GAIN corporations to manage the money and land For instance, the Athabaskan writer Velma Alaska’s indigenous people groups, jointly received under the ANCSA, a variety of grants Wallis wrote Two Old Women (published in referred to as Alaska Natives, can be divided into and corporate-funded scholarships have been 1993); a traditional story about starvation and

Haines : The town of Southeast Alaska is home to many Tlingits and famous for Chilkat Valley.

WWW.RESEARCHMEDIA.EU 109 INTELLIGENCE Ethnic groups by region. NEW ANGLO-AMERICAN LITERARY EDUCATION TO LEARN THE Source: Pearson, Roger PRACTICES OF ALASKA NATIVES W and Marjorie Her- mans, Alaska in Maps: A OBJECTIVES Thematic Atlas. • To clarify the deeper meaning of simple Fairbanks: University of old narratives or modern literary Alaska Fairbanks, 2001. works with the help of linguists and anthropologists and explain why these narratives are important • To introduce Alaska Natives’ narratives to Japanese people • To find an alternative literary education for young people FUNDING Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Grant-in-Aid for Exploratory Research – the abandonment of women, which has now EDUCATING THE YOUTH grant no. 20652020 become an international best-seller. In addition, Native Alaska writers such as Mary TallMountain Hayashi considers storytelling to be an CONTACT (Athabaskan), Jan Harper-Haines (Athabaskan) important educational tool for young people. Chieko Hayashi and Loretta Outwater Cox (Inupiaq Eskimo) are Yet while children and teenagers in modern-day Professor of Native American literature well known for their literary works. Japan have a range of media at their disposal, bringing increased opportunities to write Department of Language and Culture messages and tell stories, they tend to read CULTURAL CONNECTIONS Kyoto Institute of Technology fewer books than those of previous generations. Gosho-Kaidouchou One of Hayashi’s major aims is to familiarise “Storytelling is an extremely effective tool for Matsugasaki Japanese people with Native Alaskan narratives. literary education because even those who are Sakyo-ku So far, she has presented her research results at not good at reading books are able to enjoy and Kyoto various conferences and published both books learn stories,” Hayashi asserts. “It is important 606-8585 and papers on the topic, but she wants her that young people learn and understand the Japan findings to move beyond the academic sphere rules and ethics behind telling stories because T +81 757 247 430 and reach regular people in their everyday improper use of words and stories can seriously E [email protected] lives: “I plan to publish books for general damage human relationships.” readers, especially young people,” she discloses. CHIEKO HAYASHI obtained her BA and “My hope is that this will help the Japanese While it is commonplace for Japanese parents MA at Nara Women’s University (NWU), themselves to reconsider their own traditional and school teachers to read books to children, a Japan, where she completed her doctoral stories. I hope it will also remind them of the practice known as ‘Yomi-Kikase’, this is distinct course. She is Professor of Native American similarities between their own traditional from traditional storytelling. Storytellers are not literature at the Department of Language worldview and that of other cultures.” simply people who read aloud or recite; they are and Culture, Kyoto Institute of Technology, tradition bearers with a deep knowledge of their Japan. Awarded grants by the Japan One notable similarity between Japanese and culture and history. Their method of storytelling Society for the Promotion of Science, Native Alaskan cultures, Hayashi points out, is primarily interactive and the audience is invited she has been conducting research into is a shared belief in spirits. In a similar way to to actively participate in the story. In addition Alaska Native literature and the current how many Japanese people traditionally regard to understanding the meaning of the story, the situation in Southeast Alaska and British their bodies, animals and inanimate objects audience is also able to glean the rules and ethics of to accommodate spirits, Alaska Indians and storytelling. Hayashi believes that telling Japanese Columbia, Canada. She is ࠪࡦࡏ࡞ࡑ࡯ࠢߣࡠࠧ࠲ࠗࡊࠍ⚵ߺวࠊߖߡ૶↪ߔࠆalso interested 㓙ߩࡃ࡝ࠛ࡯࡚ࠪࡦߣޔ㈩⟎ߩ㓙ߩᲧ₸ߩഀࠅ಴ߒߢEskimos traditionally believe that everything folk stories in a participatory way like this would in environmental changesߔޕ caused by the  ࡃ࡝ࠛ࡯࡚ࠪࡦ development of natural resourcesන૏㧑 and has a spirit. Highlighting and exploring cultural be beneficial to schoolchildren and potentially a new ocean lane in the Arctic. She has similarities like this is an important part of improve the education system. been working on a cultural- or literary- creating solid links between different groups of ecological approach to these issues. people and maintaining unity between societies: ࠪࡦࡏ࡞ࡑ࡯ࠢ㧗᰷ᢥࡠࠧ࠲ࠗࡊ “If we are able to find a common cultural foundation for different people groups, it would hopefully make it easier to seek unified solutions to international problems such as environmental deterioration, and enable us to discuss our vision of how society should be,” Hayashi emphasises.

The Haida Heritage Centre located in Skidegate, Haida Guwaii – literally meaning ‘Island of the Haida People’ (commonly referred to as Queen Charlotte Islands).

㈩⟎Ყ 110 INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION 100

50 50

100

18

16

16

72