Orality, use it or lose it!
In an oral cutlure the oral componenets that define and refine the culture weave status and history into the culture of which it resides. It is a heavy burden for the messanger to be accurate, articulate and purposeful in the message. Or is it? Perhaps one of the biggest challenges for the survival of an oral culture is to sustain momentum in the dialogue. As your knowledge continues to change, so must the message and stories to support such an evolution.
As we look at our society today one cant help but be burdened with the role of the listener. In a most recent Presedential Campaign, President Obama used some basic oral skills to get across his message and articulate the "dream". The repitious manner of spreading the simple words of HOPE and YES WE CAN, hypmatized a nation. Hearing the enthusiasm in his voice, the rhetorical messages and the tone were essential to his mantra. In a written society all of these would have simply been lost.
Oral culture have the commitment to pass on the messages that sustain their society and in so doing have the challenge of keeping the message alive and accurate or it will simply float away and be lost forever.
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