Storytelling and its Effect on the Appalachian Region - Research Paper Example

Storytelling and its effect on the Appalachian region Storytelling has a universal soothing effect on people of all age group. The rich oral tradition of passing thoughts of wisdom from generation to generation in the Appalachian region remains even today intact, portraying the whole world a unique down-to-earth life style. This is a culture where small children received from their grandparents first hand training through stories and folktales (Carter). The paper attempts to bring out the practice of story telling on the Appalachian region especially with respect to its traditions, society and culture. The name Appalachian comes from the Apalachee Indians. The Appalachian Mountains are gigantic North American mountain ranges, lying partly in Canada, but mostly in the US. The Appalachian Mountains are the oldest mountain series in North America. They stretch from Tennessee to North Carolina. For centuries, native people in the region were disconnected from the rest of world because of large gaps which made it difficult to travel. The Cherokee and Creek are Native Apalachee Americans who traditionally settled in the states of Georgia, the Carolinas, and East Tennessee. With the advent of roads and rails, they were gradually connected with the wider US. For instance, in the 1930s, Asa Earl Carter under pseudonym Forrest Carter, in her work ‘Education of Little Tree’, illustrates the lifestyle practiced by the Native Americans in the Appalachians. The events are set in the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee during the 1930s. A five-year-old boy is adopted by his Cherokee grandmother and half-Cherokee grandfather after demise of his parents. Little Tree is gently raised in the way of the Cherokees. He is taught to survive in the mountains, taking what is needed from the nature and leaving the rest (Collins). He learns to admire Mother Nature and have faith in his intuitions. At the same time, Grandmother teaches Little Tree the delight of reading and writing. The novel can be of special interest for those who want to learn how young Cherokees and Creeks were brought up by their extended family members in which storytelling by grandparents formed an important component of learning. Their tales are valuable in the realm of the past, profoundly inspired by family, and have a lot to offer insight about their past values as they were growing up along the ancient mountain belt. At present time, the rich tradition of Appalachian storytelling is carried forward with the same vigor by natives, keeping in mind the changing technologies of the advanced 21st century. Jerry Harmon is an Appalachian musician and storyteller. According to him, his great-great-great grandfather, Council Harmon, was the first to introduce ‘Jack Tales’ to America from England. True, in the Appalachian tradition, storytelling and music has been a part and parcel of life. This rich tradition has been refined as it passed from one generation to another (Bronitsky and Associates). Angie DeBord, is another popular storyteller from native Swain County, North Carolina. She is also an actress who cites her extended family as source of her inspiration. She has acted in ‘Roadside Theater’ and was awarded with Rockafeller Humanities Fellowship in 2003. Angie has performed on the Lincoln Center, Cornell University, and the London International Festival of Theaters among others (Cowan Creek Mountain Music School 2). Like Harmon and DeBord, point of significance with most of the storytellers is their deep reverence for family, customs, and values, which they are trying to integrate with larger creative works amidst globalization and changing technology (Bronitsky and Associates; Cowan Creek Mountain Music School 2). Appalachian traditional music with ballads and dance tunes were used by the natives while narrating their ideas under stories. In recent times too, carriers of the Appalachian tradition with their stories use musical instruments to make their contents more relevant and interesting. Harmon, for instance, also claims to establish himself as a guitarist along with storytelling, song writing and singing (Appalachian Traditional Music; Harmon). There is a saying that proof of pudding lies in eating. When it comes to experiencing the Appalachian lifestyle, there is no substitute of making a trip on the very mountainous sites where the tradition was first established centuries ago. Not surprisingly, Appalachian way of storytelling mixed with music, song, and dance is now reinvented with advanced technologies like the Web World today. Tourists from not only across the fifty states of US, but far away from Asia and Africa also find it delight to visit the very mountainous sites where the oral tradition of passing thoughts of wisdom through down-to-earth tales from ‘grandma’ and ‘grandpa’ was set. One such seminar organized is Appalachian Festival by The Appalachian Community Development Association. Storytelling, music, dance, festival crafts find their manifestation in such festivals. At a time when many individuals across the globe are trying to find meaning to their life by getting close to ancient religion and philosophy, such initiatives provide redress to find a new meaning to life. The reason why Appalachian story telling tradition finds reason to celebrate is it provides a platform where lessons of ‘tolerance’can be learned through knowledge (The Appalachian Community Development Association; Diversity Celebration). In the 21st century festivals like Diversity Celebration at Appalachian State University, there is a joy of celebrating unity in diversity. Such events are open to the public and provide ‘culturally enriching and entertaining experiences for people of all ages.’ Keeping in mind globalization trends that encourage people of different culture to form a common platform, Diversity Celebration 2011 includes Bhangra, Hindi, and Persian dance. This is interesting as storytelling is one platform through which other creative arts likes singing, dancing, and music are promoted: like the movies in current time where lyrics, songs, dance, and other aspects of the movie keeps in rhythm with the broad story (Diversity Celebration). There is a saying that the old order changes, yielding place to the new. Southern Appalachia is known to be a colossal reservoir of customary folktales. Saundra Kelley made an effort to locate, discuss, and broadcast sixteen of the county’s most adroit holders of the oral tradition. Saundra included diversity, reputation, and experiences her chief parameters while making selection of storytellers ranging from Cherokee tradition to Scot-Irish traditionalists and artists and educators who integrate storytelling with poem and drama. Lloyd Arneach, Marilou Awiakta, and Jerry Wolfe are three Cherokees in this collection. Customary legends are the main source of inspiration for Lloyd Arneach, Marilou Awiakta, and Jerry Wolfe. Interesting to note is the enthusiasm and respect for the old tradition observed in all the three artists because they see their roles as keepers ‘of the flame.’ The uniqueness of the Cherokees lies on the perpetuation of their tales. Traditional animal stories are a topic that is especially selected by Wolfe while trying to find universal themes in Cherokee customs. Awiakta, brought up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee has achieved fame as a poet, writer and storyteller. The three Native Americans emphasize the significance of retaining their original ‘voices’ which are intrinsic in their oral tradition (Carden). Interesting to note is the fact that most of the storytellers under this tradition now use storytelling as a launching point into other creative works. For instance, Sheila Kay Adams, ‘seventh generation ballad singer’ from Madison County, North Carolina, has transformed her experiences with ‘personal folklore’ into a novel ‘My Old True Love’ and a collection of short story ‘Come Go Home With Me.’ (The Mudcat Cafe) It is clear from the above discussion that Appalachian tradition that was so closely aligned with nature and simple living while keeping rich cultural values intact has found a new meaning in the current century. At a time when globalization and new information technology in the form of internet provide new opportunities and threats, recourse to a lifestyle that flourished centuries ago in the North America across Appalachian mountains provide creative inputs for all those who strive to make world a better place through exchange of art and culture. References 1. Bronitsky and Associates, LLC. Jerry Harmon. 2009, Web. 19 June 2011. < http://www.bronitskyandassociates.com/harmon.htm>. 2. Carden, Gary. Area storytellers featured in new book. Smoky Mountains, 2011, Web. 19 June 2011. . 4. Cowan Creek Mountain Music School. June 23-27, 2008. Web. 19 June 2011. . 5. Collins, Merritt, ‘The Education of Little Tree’, 2009, Web. 19 June 2011 < http://student.agsci.colostate.edu/merrittc/The%20Education%20of%20Little%20Tree.pdf> 6. Diversity Celebration. Appalachian State University. History of the Diversity Celebration. 2011, Web. 19 June 2011. . 7. The Appalachian Community Development Association. Storytelling. 42nd Annual Appalachian Festival. 2011, Web. 19 June 2011. http://www.appalachianfestival.org/02festival/01schedule/schedulestory.html. 8. The Mudcat Cafe. Review: My Old True Love by Sheila K. Adams. 2004, Web. 19 June 2011. < http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=70297>. . Read More