the importance of storytelling BETHEL ALASKA NATIVE PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT STORYTELLING IS POWER, KNOWLEDGE, AND A CRUCIAL WAY TO PASS ON CORE INDIGENOUS VALUES AND HISTORY. Storytelling, in its many forms, is an experience as much as it is communication—meant to relay histories, genealogies, relationships, and life lessons that have been passed down from Ancestors. The significance of storytelling is evident throughout every Alaska Native tribe because of their very survival—founded on the peoples’ adherence to verbal and non-verbal visual art to carry on their sacred traditions and skills. Alaska Native storytelling has been passed down verbally through generations. These stories provide life lessons or serve as lessons in heritage. However, due to the decline in the number of speakers of Alaska Native languages and a change in lifestyle among many of the younger Alaska Native peoples, including modernization and the influences of pop and American culture, verbal storytelling has become less common. In recent years, many stories have been written down to ensure their longevity, though many argue that the telling of the story is just as important as the words within. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: INSTAGRAM/ RAYRUMBARGERPHOTOS, ‘WÁATS’ASDIYEI JOE YATES (HAIDA), GETTY IMAGES/ VIKTOR POSNOV, GETTY IMAGES/ MARK NEWMAN. how the crane got its blue eyes A Yup’ik legend passed down from generations, the children’s story tells of a crane who decides to go berry-picking. The crane leaves his eyes on a log to keep a look out for people. The eyes keep telling the crane that people are coming, but they aren’t. The last time the eyes tell the crane people are coming, the crane ignores the eyes and keeps eating berries. When the crane finally finds out the eyes are gone, having floated away on the tide, he starts looking around the tundra for something he can use as replacements for eyes. He keeps trying different kinds of berries—all unsatisfactory—until finally, he decides on blueberries. The name Alaska means “the mainland” or “the object towards which the action of the sea is directed” from the Unangam Tunuu word “alaxsxaq.” DID YOU KNOW? VSEVIDOF VOLCANO 5
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