Native American Storytelling

Dr Namorah Gayle Byrd
Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah Yarmouk
7 PM, Friday 6 March 2015
The ancient art of storytelling is a part of traditional cultures shared by the Arab world and North America’s first people. Dr Namorah Gayle Byrd, a noted Native American storyteller, promises to captivate audiences with “trickster” stories, legends and songs at Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah Yarmouk at 7 PM on Friday, 6 March. Like their counterparts in the Arabic traditions, the stories told in Native American tribes “are sophisticated, psychological explanations of human behavior that allow people to learn for themelves,” explained Dr Byrd.
Dr Byrd is an associate professor at Rowan College in New Jersey, USA and incorporates the rich Native American and African American traditions of oral storytelling into both her professional and educational pursuits. On Friday, 6 March she will share her traditions with an audience here in Kuwait. “Storytelling is not just for children,” Byrd concluded. “The symbolic nature of the tales provides a thought-provoking experience for adults. It is a real pleasure to carry on this legacy.”