FINAL PROJECTS - AUTHENTICATION OF FOLKLORE

Activity #	Objectives	Activities	Subject
12 Debating the Issues	Students will debate the issues surrounding the importance of authentication in adaptations and retellings of traditional tales.	Split students into debate teams. Each team is assigned a stance in the debate. The teams must defend their stance.	Social Studies
13 Authentication	Students will turn in short papers that discuss the authentication of a piece of First Nations folklore.	Students may work individually or in pairs to do the research required to authenticate a piece of First Nations folklore.	Social Studies Language Arts

Activity 12: Debating the Issues

Is authentication really that important?  Does it matter if text containing cultural significance is removed in adapted tales?  There are many issues that surround the cultural authentication of folklore.  Consider the following issues:

1. Should only First Nations authors be allowed to publish traditional tales?

2. Should First Nations tales be changed and adapted to make “sense” in the modern world or to add things to the text to help non First Nations people understand the significance of the tale?

3. Should non First Nations people be excluded from the publishing of First Nations tales?

4. How important is it to maintain the cultural integrity of a tale?

5. Should changes be made to traditional tales, and if so, how much should be changed?

6. Is it really important that the text and illustrations are culturally authentic?

7. Should the original source be quoted?

Procedure:

1. Divide the students into several debate teams.

2. Each debate team is assigned an issue and told whether or not they will be debating for or against the issue. Each issue should have one team assigned “for” and one team assigned “against” so that they may be matched up to debate the issues.

3. Give the teams time to create an argument for the assigned issue.

4. Group debate teams and debate the issues.

Activity 13: Authentication Project

Authenticity must be maintained if the cultural significance of traditional tales is to be maintained.  To help your students gain an understanding of the research required to write an authentic tale, have them select a piece of folklore. Using secondary resources (informational books about the specific tribe, maps, art books, and so on) have the students authenticate the folklore.  The students are to research the text and illustrations. This means that if the author states that the Haida Indians live on the Great Plains and hunt buffalo the students should verify this statement by looking at other sources.  If an illustrator paints a picture of a Navaho Indian dressed in clothes that an Inuit would wear, the students should verify this as well. Have them write up their findings in a short paper after they have completed their research.