Journal article
Multimodal complexity in sand story narratives
J Green
Narrative Inquiry | JOHN BENJAMINS PUBLISHING CO | Published : 2016
Abstract
In sand stories, an Indigenous narrative practice from Central Australia, semiconventionalized graphic symbols drawn on the ground are interwoven with speech, sign and gesture. This article examines some aspects of the complexity seen in this dynamic graphic tradition, illustrating the ways that these different semiotic resources work together to create complex multimodal utterances. The complexity of sand stories provides an almost unique platform from which to investigate the rich diversity of the expressive dimensions of narrative and demonstrates what needs to be taken into account if we are to make meaningful comparisons of storytelling practices in a range of cultures and contexts.
Related Projects (2)
Grants
Awarded by ARC
Awarded by Australian Research Council
Funding Acknowledgements
The research that forms the basis of this article has been conducted over many years. I thank the many Indigenous people from Central Australian with whom I have worked, in particular those whose stories are represented in this article: Eileen Campbell Pwerrerl, Clarrie Long Kemarr, Mary Ngal, Margaret Kemarre Turner (OAM), and Violet Petyarr. I acknowledge the thoughtful and constructive comments of two reviewers, and Jenny Taylor for providing the line drawings that illustrate this article. I also thank Myfany Turpin, Margaret Carew, David Wilkins, David Nash, Elizabeth Marrkilyi Ellis, and Inge Kral with whom I have collaborated on a range of language projects. I am particularly indebted to Lizzie, who as both a practitioner of Ngaatjatjarra verbal arts and as a linguist brings rare and valuable insights to understandings of Australian Indigenous narratives. This research has been supported by ARC Fellowships DP110102767 and DE160100873.