Synopses & Reviews
Oklahoma, or "Okla Homma," is a Choctaw word meaning "Red People." In this collection, acclaimed storyteller Tim Tingle tells the stories of his people, the Choctaw People, the Okla Homma. For years, Tim has collected stories of the old folks, weaving traditional lore with stories from everyday life.
Walking the Choctaw Road is a mixture of myth stories, historical accounts passed from generation to generation, and stories of Choctaw people living their lives in the here and now.
The Wordcraft Circle of Native American Writers and Storytellers selected Tim as "Contemporary Storyteller Of The Year" for 2001, and in 2002, Tim was the featured storyteller at the National Storyteller Festival in Jonesboro, Tennessee.
Tim Tingle lives in Canyon Lake, Texas.
Review
"Sophisticated narrative devices and some subtle character nuances give these stories a literary cast, but the authorand#8217;s evocative language, expert pacing, and absorbing subject matter will rivet readers and listeners both." and#151;Booklist
"Poetic language and a compelling but quiet voice honor the Native American traditions for both the native and the non-native reader." and#151;Kirkus Reviews
"Written in a down-to-earth, highly accessible style, Walking the Choctaw Road is a joy to read, embracing tribal traditions with wry humor, enhanced with liberal highlights of both energy and excitement." and#151;The Midwest Book Review
"Storyteller Tim Tingle shares what it means to be Choctaw through 11 moving tales. His subjects range from the 'Trail of Tears' to 'Tony Byars,' one manand#8217;s account of finding friendship amidst enormous sorrow during his seven-year confinement in an Indian boarding school." and#151;Publishers Weekly
"Tingle is as skilled a storyteller as a collector. His compilation of Choctaw folklore is a pleasure to read, from introduction to final taleand#133; This volume is a fine addition to any libraryand#8217;s folklore, storytelling, multicultural history, or literature collection." and#151;VOYA
" Tingle is at the top of his order; with the likes of Joseph Bruchac and Gail Ross, Indians whose intuitive grasp of the deep relationship between stories and the land and cultural survival makes their tellings into semi-mystical eventsand#133;There is a luminosity of spirit to all of [the stories]." and#151;San Antonio Express-News
"Tim Tingle, a well-known Choctaw storyteller, has selected a variety of stories that reflect Choctaw history and folkloreand#133;This book would be very useful as a resource for history, cultural studies, folklore and storytelling, and might inspire others to collect oral history and family stories." and#151;Multicultural Children's Literature
"Love and respect for the family, the elders, pride of heritage and a strict code of honesty are dominant themes throughout the book. Mr. Tingleand#8217;s writing impressed me. Students and adults alike should read this book. It certainly commands a place in every school library." and#151;Plum Creek Almanac
Synopsis
Weaving traditional lore, oral histories and everyday life, Tim Tingle's stories teach us the Choctaw Way.
About the Author
Tim Tingle, an award-winning author and storyteller, is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. His interest in writing and storytelling grew, in part, from the memories and stories passed down to him by his grandfather, John Carnes, who walked the Trail of Tears in 1835. In addition to lecturing at college campuses across the nation, Tingle performs his trickster tales and historical stories throughout the United States and Canada. He is dedicated to preserving Choctaw culture and heritage. Tingle's first book Walking the Choctaw Road, a collection of stories based on interviews from tribal elders, was named Best Anthology for 2003 by Storytelling World Magazine. In 2005, Walking the Choctaw Road was chosen as both Oklahoma Reads! and Alaska Reads! Book of the Year, and Oklahoma's Governor proclaimed May through November to be the state's Walking the Choctaw Road months. In 2007, Tingle received the American Library Association's Notable Book Award and the American Indian Library Association's American Indian Youth Literature Award for his picture book Crossing Bok Chitto. His latest book is When Turtle Grew Feathers: A Tale from the Choctaw Nation.
Table of Contents
Crossing Bok Chitto -- The beating of wings -- Trail of tears -- Bones on the Brazos -- Caleb -- The Choctaw way -- Brothers -- Lizbeth and the madstone -- Tony Byars -- Archie's war -- Saltypie -- We are a people of miracles.