"That's What They Used to Say": Reflections on American Indian Oral Traditions
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.75 (912 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0806157755 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 272 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2016-04-27 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
“Once again Donald L. Fixico has produced a provocative work. In 'That’s What They Used to Say,' he engages the reader in his examination of Indian oral tradition, interweaving his own autobiography throughout.”—Blue Clark, author of Indian Tribes of Oklahoma: A Guide
Fixico’s stories conjure war heroes and ghosts, inspire fear and laughter, explain the past and foresee the future—and through them he skillfully connects personal, familial, tribal, and Native history. . In his latest work, Fixico, who is Shawnee, Sac and Fox, Mvskoke Creek, and Seminole, invites readers into his own oral tradition to learn how storytelling, legends and prophecies, oral histories, and creation myths knit together and explain the Indian world. As a child growing up in rural Oklahoma, Donald Fixico often heard “hvmakimata”—“that’s what they used to say”—a phrase Mvskoke Creeks and Seminoles use to end stories. Stories possess spiritual energy, and by summoning this energy, storytellers bring their communities together. Interweaving the storytelling and traditions of his ancestors, Fixico conveys the richness and importance of oral culture in Native communities and demonstrates the power of the spoken word to bring past and present together, creating a shared reality both immediate and historical for Native peoples. Sharing these stories, and the larger story of where they come from and how they work, “