“Blood Memory”: Native American Storytelling and the Oral Tradition | N. Scott Momaday

How are stories part of our collective culture and memory? Explore the role of the oral tradition for Native American tribes like the Kiowa and how writers like N. Scott Momaday has managed to transfer the oral tradition to the page through his novels about Native American identity in the 20^th and 21^st century in this video from the American Masters film Words from a Bear: N. Scott Momaday.  

Momaday’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel House Made of Dawn led to the breakthrough of Native American literature into the mainstream. The film delves into the psyche behind the celebrated author and visually captures the essence of Momaday’s writings. Although his heritage is a central theme, Momaday’s work asks universal questions: what are our origins and how do we connect to them through our collective memories? This collection of resources from the film illuminates how Momaday grappled with these questions, his identity and the challenges of being a Native American artist in today’s world.