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Around the Campfire

© Mary M. Alward

For hundreds of years, the Natives of North America have used the art of storytelling to educate their young people. These stories teach important historical, traditional and cultural lessons. Oral traditions (storytelling) are very structured. Told for generations, the stories always remain the same. Stories include myths, legends and folklore.

Myths tell stories from hundreds of years ago. The Creation story is a myth. Myths are used to carry on traditions and teach the culture of the People.

Legends are stories that tell about certain places. They usually tell of heroes, witches, ghosts or other supernatural happenings. These stories can be from the past or present day. They link the People with the land.

Folklore stories are fictional. These often teach morals or are told for the purpose of entertainment.

Native storytellers entertained the People during the long winter nights. Everyone, including children, would gather around the campfire to have some fun. Storytellers were very talented. As they told the story, they acted it out. Some stories were very long. The storyteller would spend hours telling his tale. The story almost always ended quickly.

Stories were told during all seasons, but since winter was a time when very little else was going on, more stories were told during that season.

The Ojibwa believed that snakes and frogs were evil. The People didn't want them to hear certain stories. These tales were only told in winter, when the frogs and snakes were well hidden in their winter homes.

Have you ever been on a camping trip and listened to ghost stories around a campfire? If so, you have a good idea of how entertaining oral traditions were to the Natives of North America. This was, and still is, a very important part of Native culture. The stories should be listened to and always treated with respect.

Over the next few weeks, I am going to retell some Native American stories that were told to me as a child. I hope that you enjoy them.

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