APPENDIXC. Story TellingHow do I use story telling in the classroom to teach the Dene perspective? 1. Our Story Telling Heritage In the past, oral story telling was not simply a form of entertainment. The oral tradition was the only way of passing knowledge from generation to generation. It was a means of teaching the Dene child the history, knowledge, values and beliefs of the Dene. The stories provided a perspective on how to relate to the land, the spiritual world, other people and the self. The morals contained in the stories were used to guide youngsters as they learned to conduct themselves into young adulthood. The elders were the main storytellers. They told stories about the cycle of life, the environment, the animals, the geography and the seasons. The content was rich with experience and wisdom. As children heard the stories told by the elders, they showed respect for the elder and his or her knowledge by being patient and self-disciplined. The oral tradition has been somewhat weakened in the recent past, but it is time now to rejuvenate that tradition so that we may learn as much as possible from those elders who are still with us. We can learn also from their taped or transcribed stories. Though we have both print and non-print media to help us in transmitting knowledge from the elders to the children of tomorrow, the tradition of oral story telling should be maintained. We are not simply interested in the content of the stories. Oral story telling is a way of learning - a Dene way of learning. Children hear stories over and over through their lifetimes, in different forms, with different degrees of complexity and subtlety. with each hearing, they understand more or less depending upon their personal readiness. They do not take tests after each hearing. They retell only what they feel interested in or feel ready to retell. Gentle references are made to stories when problems are confronted in real life. Youngsters make whatever connection they are able to and apply them to their lives. The content of the stories told by elders are so rich that they beg to be used for dramatization, dance, story books, video presentations and other forms of modern communication. it can be very exciting and meaningful for students to further develop the content using modern technology, with appropriate permission from the elders or the Community Education Committee.
2. Learning Objectives Associated With Oral Story Telling In Dene Kede, stories are used:
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