Pojetí vypravěčství v severoamerických indigenních kulturách a koncept vztahovosti
Indigenous Perception of Storytelling and the Concept of Relationality

Summary/Abstract: Traditional storytelling has been an essential constituent of Indigenous cultures in North America, including contemporary literary production. The perception of storytelling in Indigenous theories might, however, in some aspects differ from its Western literary critical understanding. This paper outlines the conceptual frameworks which shape and are reflected in Indigenous storytelling and examines relationality as the core principle of Indigenous knowledge system. Relationality does not only represent a frequent theme in Indigenous works, but it is also manifested in their narrative structure, and simultaneously can be used for their interpretation. In addition, the paper focuses on the equal role of the storyteller and the listener in Indigenous views on storytelling, the necessity to internalize a story to derive meaning, the power and animacy of stories and the importance of this for Indigenous typologies of stories, and on the issue of cultural appropriation, which stems from the different approaches to stories and knowledge as such in Indigenous and non-Indigenous perceptions.

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