"...The story is our escort; without it, we are blind. Does the blind man own his escort? No, neither do we the story; rather it is the story that owns us and directs us."
-Chinua Achebe
Why We Tell Stories
Every culture in the world seems to create stories or narratives as a way of making sense of the world they live in. Language is the primary means of learning and sharing one’s culture, and it is used to help define and distinguish different ethnic groups and cultures. Through song, chants, dancing, clapping, and drumming, cultures band together to create stories that help build community morale. These stories teach lessons, share social constructs, provide answers to questions, and entertain adults and children alike.
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Storytelling in Africa
Storytelling has been rooted in African culture since ancient times. Before writing was used as a way to transmit lessons and culture, oral traditions took precedent in many nations across the continent. Emmanuel Matateyou explains that storytelling is an integral part of the culture of the African people in Cameroon:
"Storytelling like rhetoric is the exercise of the mind. The words have great power."
He goes on to explain that oral traditions are what keep communities united. Problems are resolved through recourse of stories.
Similar to Cameroon, storytelling in Ghana is a community affair. Families gather together after a long day to expose the children of the community to life lessons and craft them into effective members of their society through storytelling.The adults work together to sing, clap, drum, and dance to help create a common theme and send a moral to the young ones.
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The Death of Storytelling
In We Are Proud to Present… Actor 6 gathers a group of actors to help her piece together the history of her ancestors, a history she knows nothing about and feels entirely removed from. Many agree that storytelling and its interest has rapidly declined since the introduction of technology. Those who were raised on stories, particularly from African nations, are seeking to reignite storytelling in their children and younger generations. There are others, however, who believe that storytelling will evolve with the times. A TV is just another medium of storytelling, not something to inhibit the art.
How the Herero Are Remembered
The war between the Herero and the Germans from 1904-1908 led to a loss of collective identity among the tribe and a series of efforts to hold on to the culture suppressed over the years. The question that remains is how can we compensate for the mass violation of human rights and injustice that led to the genocide of thousands of Herero people? The privilege and higher social standing of German descendants is preventing constructive conversation on how to rewrite history in a way that honors both perspective.
