Formal Literary Paragraph: Inuit Traditional Story
Inuit stories are traditionally oral rather than written, and they are tales that have been passed down for generations, leaving a sense of mystery as to where they originated from up in the air. These stories are used to both teach lessons and entertain, and Inuit stories have even been used as a parenting tool (Doucleff 1). In the case of Lumaaq, which is also commonly told as The Blind Boy and the Loon, it is showcased that learning recognizes the role of indigenous knowledge (fnesc 1), as the blind boy of the story learns through nature and animals after communicating with a red loon in the river (Arnaquq-Baril 16). After facing hardships and learning more about his cruel mother and the life he has lived after going blind, he seeks guidance through indigenous knowledge that he had come to know throughout his entire life. Instead of being captured by despair, the boy used his culture and his deeply rooted knowledge to make changes for himself. Through transformation, the narwal symbolizes revenge and the chains that it creates, continuing the Inuit tradition of stories relating to animals and the beginning of life (Arnaquq-Baril 40). In indigenous communities, knowledge of the land and animals is one of the most important life lessons a person gets throughout their entire life on this planet, and in this learning, indigenous knowledge is showcased as the forefront of it all.
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Citations and Sources:
https://archive.org/details/blindboyloon0000arna/page/16/mode/2up (Arnaquq-Baril 16 & 40)
I like hearing about these stories!! They always sound super interesting ^^
ReplyDeleteThis one is one of my favorites along with 'I Am Not a Number'. It's a super interesting tale that is much different than stories from some other indigenous cultures, as the Inuit are one of the most unique groups in the community.
DeleteLove it Lex keep up the great work! Glad you are enjoying your school projects. 🩷
ReplyDeleteSome of it is pretty interesting, and it makes for good literary material to bulk up that tag before I graduate! It's nice to have a portfolio of sorts of works like this too, as they are really important - especially due to the fact that they relate to me being indigenous/first nations as well. Thank you so much!
DeleteCool little story thank you for sharing. Excellent review!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading! I appreciate the support very much.
DeleteAlways something to learn through indigenous stories,always have enjoyed reading them.
ReplyDeleteExcellent write up per usual,sure do have a way with words that I admire!
I agree! Indigenous knowledge runs so far. Thank you so much for the kind words!
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