In Native North American cultures, the people would sit in a circle with everyone at the same height so that no one is in the lead or in a higher position. The literature of the tribe was passed on verbally. Oral literature, called folklore, legends, or myths, includes songs, stories, and rituals or ceremonies. Storytelling is used to educate the members of the tribe on beliefs and history. The storyteller defined the member's place in the world and purpose. The storyteller also was given some leeway to make his or her own interpretation of the story. Most stories kept the theme - Man must live in harmony with the physical and spiritual universe

Because it misses so many major elements, written transcription alone cannot satisfactorily convey or replace oral tradition. Often, problems with translation distort the the stories. Without explanation, the tales lack social and communal significance. They often lack meaningful visual imagery as well. But the world should have the opportunity to somehow share in Native American oral tradition. Anthropologists now face the difficult issue of implementing an alternative, yet feasible method of documenting their stories. They have recently been exploring possibilities such as photographs, illustrations, recorders, and videotapes. Each of these possibilities possesses individual shortcomings. Perhaps the best solution is to go to the Native Americans themselves. Instead of relying on white interpretation, storytellers should have encouragement to record their tales in a fashion that best suits its purpose.

More and more of Native American children's education come from books rather than from elders. Children need to go to school because there are new skills to learn for survival in today’s world. They need to learn skills such as reading, writing and using computers, because these will help them get a job or earn the money they need to do other things.

Elders are very important in cultures that teach through the oral tradition. The elders are the people with the most knowledge. They have gained it over their lifetime and they are needed to te

Some topics in this essay:
Native American, Native Americans, North American, American Indians, American Indian, native american, native americans, oral traditions, oral tradition, Traditions Literacy, native american oral, american oral, future generations, music dance, culture elders, american oral traditions, traditional knowledge, knowledge lost,