User:Kellygaussaint/Oral Tradition

Credibility
Oral tradition is a cultural staple in millions of communities around the world and has contributed to the expansion and development of rich history that might have gotten lost otherwise. Passing down stories by word of mouth has laid a foundation of values and traditions for families, neighborhoods, and cities because of the cultural and historical importance of familial elders and their life wisdom. However, many of these stories can be considered to be fables or myths opposed to being true anecdotes. There is an ongoing debate over whether stories passed down through word of mouth should be recognized as official, valid sources by which to acquire or verify information. People tend to argue both sides based on the polarizing subjects of scientific accuracy and cultural traditions.

Advantages and Disadvantages
Many historians, particularly those trained in Europe, will vehemently argue against the use of oral tradition as a reliable source in professional education and research. However, this belief often directly corresponds with a dismissive attitude towards African and Native American stories, considering them useful to anthropologists but not to fact-driven historians (Babatunde 19). This misconception is surrounded by the fact that there are limited physical materials available to confirm or deny these oral histories, but that does not deem them irrelevant.

A variety of different communities throughout the continent of Africa successfully used oral tradition to share information and reconstruct massive collections of histories due to a limited writing accessibility before the Europeans arrived. Certain non-literate societies still exist today and maintain a dependence on oral sources to communicate with each other, carry on customs, traditions, folklore, etc. Oral traditions in these cultures are an invaluable source of comfort, authority, spiritual validation, and represent a psychological release from what might be difficult social and institutional circumstances (Babatunde 18). Not only is oral tradition itself a method of analyzing cultural and social differences, it is also the manner in which stories are told, the storytellers themselves, the endurance of specific tales throughout time, their general structure, and so much more that provides sharp insight into who these people are and how they have lived for centuries. This complex understanding facilitates a much more thorough understanding of history

“Anything, material or immaterial that bears witness to the past is a historical document or source”(Babatunde 18). Oral tradition connects the future to the past and has been honored in African countries as sophisticated historical scholarship and used in many research studies. This broad definition of a “historical source” forces archivists to redesign their perspective on what constitutes historical research and expand their view to include the voices of those who have little more than their own stories to share with the rest of the world. This condemns the overlooking of African oral sources and challenges the preconceptions held within Western education and formal institutions.

Most arguments against the use of oral tradition as a reliable source for historical writing reference a lack of chronological precision and uncertainty about specific dates and times these events may have occurred. This can lead to misinterpretations or incorrect historical conclusions as a result of not having an accurate timeline. Oral tradition has been subject to distortion over time and has produced incorrect information, however, the transformation of oral tradition can provide information in itself regarding the transformation of a community. This can also allow the researcher to measure varying social attitudes and customs over time from the changes seen in storytelling. Refusal of western trained historians to acknowledge the validity of oral tradition in regions and communities that have been historically oppressed and underrepresented throughout history is not a coincidence, but a form of institutional erasure of ethnic cultures. Factors include racial superiority and failure to appreciate diverse ethnic cultures.

It is important as a historian to understand the potential shortcomings or obstacles one might face when using oral tradition as an educational source (Babatunde 19). During the process, the researcher may have trouble placing certain events or differentiating between similar stories that may exist within one tribe. The transmission of oral histories across generations typically makes them more sensitive to inaccuracies or discrepancies that cause greater difficulty when working with them. It is necessary to maintain patience and devote a significant amount of time to deciphering oral tradition.

As a result of the widespread overlooking of these oral traditions, there are endless opportunities for discovery and further research into how oral tradition has formed these civilizations and correspond to other parts of history. This field of exploration can open doors to revolutionary findings or expose even more crime committed against the British and American imperial governments. This is a largely untapped pool of incredibly rich and fascinating culture that should be further explored but is unfortunately neglected by much of the western world.