Native American Oral Traditions

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This collection serves as a benchmark for collaboration between Native American and non-Native American scholars in the study of Native oral traditions. Seven sets of intercultural authors present Native American oral texts alongside commentary, exploring perspectives, discoveries, and meanings that arise through collaborative translation and interpretation. The texts originate from the American West, encompassing a diverse range of materials from tribes such as the Yupik in the Arctic to the Yaqui in the Sonoran Desert. This joint authorship is timely, reflecting a growing interest in reflexivity in the relationships between scholars and the Native communities they study, and responding to the communities' renewed commitment to controlling representations of their traditions. Historically, the collaboration between Native and academic communities has been imbalanced, often sidelining the contributions of Native assistants, informants, and translators. Many Native Americans have not been involved in the planning and writing of such projects. This collection provides models for overcoming these challenges, facilitating a deeper understanding of Native oral literature in relation to the cultures and communities from which it originates.