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ProQuest Information and Learning 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 800-521-0600 UMI UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE WE STILL TELL STORIES: AN EXAMINATION OF CHEROKEE ORAL LITERATURE A Dissertation SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Leslie D. Hannah Norman, Oklahoma 2003 UMI Number 3075331 UMI UMI Microform 3075331 Copyright 2003 by ProQuest Information and Leaming Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Leaming Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Artx)r, Ml 48106-1346 © Copyright by Leslie D. Hannah 2003 All Rights Reserved. WE STILL TELL STORIES: AN EXAMINATION OF CHEROKEE ORAL LITERATURE A Dissertation APPROVED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH BY alcL m Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................. 1 Chapter One This is How I See the World The Butterfly Effect ..........................................18 Lingua Franca ...................................................26 Uktens and Skilis and Tsunstis .......................41 Six of One—Half Dozen of Another ..............61 Chapter Two Signiflcance and Roles of Stories and Tellers Stories................................................................69 Tellers................................................................87 It’s In the Blood ............................................... 96 O, the difference of man and man .................106 Chapter Three Caveat Emptor The Quick Fix .................................................. 112 Voices of Our Ancestors ................................120 The Path to Snowbird Mountain .................... 153 Emperor of the Tsaiagi....................................163 Warning ............................................................ 177 Chapter Four The Authors ..................................................................179 Lynn King Lossiah ...........................................182 Barbara Duncan, with Kathi Smith Littlejohn. Davey Arch, Edna Chekelelee, and Freeman Owle ............................................187 -IV- The Interviews ...............................................................195 Reading Guide ..................................................199 Georgia Kent.................................................... 200 Nancy Pritchett .................................................214 Elsie Vann .........................................................239 Jennie-May Smith and Archie Stayathome....259 Comparatively Speaking................................. 256 Conclusion .................................................................................277 Works Cited ..............................................................................281 -V- Introduction "Knowledge was inherent in all things. The world was a library .... " Chief Luther Standing Bear—Oglala Souix Ohsiyo. Before beginning this study, my plans were to examine some of the modem aspects of traditional Native American, primarily Cherokee, storytelling. For the first few weeks of my work, I held to that plan. However, as I progressed through the maze o f information uncovered, especially during the field interviews I conducted, I found the research gravitating more toward a comparative study of traditional Cherokee folklore and how it is understood within a Cherokee community versus how it is often misrepresented by “popular,” and even some academic books, and is thus misunderstood by the consuming public. This is a misunderstanding that then feeds itself by filling the minds of many non-Native consumers with visions of Indian mysticism and ancient tribal secrets capable of saving the world from itself. Consumers desire more; more is produced, often embellished beyond authenticity, until many want to become Indian. Or, it may have an opposite effect, that of terrifying the public into believing that Indians, and by association all things Indian, are evil and savage­ like, thus fnghtening many into a false fear of Indians. In either situation, there are plenty o f books written by non-Natives designed to perpetuate both images. There are also plenty of books written by those who claim to be Indian that are just as guilty of presenting as false an image as those by non-Natives. This study shall examine examples of both. That being noted, I begin, then, with these points, a brief explanation of Cherokee lore, as examined within this study, and the consuming public 's concept o f “authentic” Cherokee lore. Cherokee tales, like the folklore of many cultures, are primarily oral—stories handed down from one generation to the next, much like sacred heirlooms. In this aspect, Cherokee lore differs from no other culture's lore. As this study promotes, the storytelling aspect of lore is a common thread binding all of humanity. This common thread of human kind is one aspect of folk lore repeatedly commented upon by storytellers and scholars of the genre. Another aspect noted time and again, especially by those interviewed for this study, was the atmosphere of the storytelling event. Not being a total stranger to this, I recall that of which they spoke. A storytelling event in the traditional Cherokee manner often resembles a family reunion wherein older members of the 3 family speak of life as they have known it, a life that in many cases now exists only in their memories. The younger generations sit around attentively listening to the knowledge and wisdom contained in the anecdotes. Additionally, there is a healthy amount of socializing. Lore familiar to the Western tradition is most often written down. Though its beginnings lie in orality, similar to the family gathering types of events, this tradition is now generally solitary—i.e, through the reading of a book. The reader engages with text captured on a page, reading either silently or aloud to no one other than him or herself. Both paradigms. Native and Western, will agree that there is value in words, whether they are spoken or written. Likewise, this study makes no effort to claim words are valueless. Rather, the argument o f this study will be to show that the value of the written word (and by association the commercial spoken word) so often attributed to Native Americans and their lore may frequently be misunderstood, when seen from certain Western points of view—primarily monetary. Additionally, the argument here is that the oral tradition is equal to the written tradition, in cultural value. One is no better than the other—they are simply different. However, it is this difference that seemingly keeps these two worlds apart. As William M. Clements notes. Euroamericans and Native North Americans hold 4 "two diametrically opposed views on the value of [these words What he means is not just the text, but also the context of the words, especially when considering cultural meanings and ethnopoetics. When considering the evidence uncovered during the research phase of this study, as well as many personal experiences, 1 must agree. With this study, then, 1 hope to create a juxtaposition of these two worlds so that those in each may see, and hopefully begin to understand, that we are all human and that we all share the love of a good story— no matter if it is spoken or written. Being a mixed-blood Cherokee Indian— by which 1 mean part o f my heritage is Cherokee and part is White—1 have always lived in these two worlds, sometimes in the "neutral zone” separating the two, wherein 1 was "shot at” from both sides. 1 can easily see and understand the differences between these two worlds. 1 can also easily see the value in each world's paradigm. With this study, 1 shall try to illustrate some of these differences so that citizens of both worlds may gain a better understanding of each other's paradigm, at least when it comes to stories. Historically, much has been said about the building of a bridge between the world of the Native Americans and the world of the Whites—building a bridge William M. Clements. Native American Verbal Art: Texts and Contexts. Tucson: Arizona UP. 1996: I. 5 that begins on both sides and meets somewhere in the middle. Homer Noley, a former director of the National United Methodist Native American Center, tells an anecdote that illustrates this concept well. He recounts it in A Native American Theology, co-written with Clara Sue Kidwell and George Tinker: The story is told of a construction company which was contracted