Where do you stand on the public interpretation and publication of Native American stories, legends and myths?

Talking Circle for Journal Activity Twelve
Anna: I mainly agree with both Adams and Womack, though I think Adams underestimates the potential revolutionary influence of religion. In any case, it is really wrong to collect stories from many cultures depriving them of the only context which can give them meaning. But for me it is not a question of their political meaning so much as their religious significance, which often means that these stories should not be told to a broader audience.

Will: My feeling is that there is nothing wrong if stories are used for children's story books or comparative creation accounts. Of course it is also important that their tribal significance be interpreted and preserved within the original tribal context. It is clearly within the nature of these stories that they have meaning at many levels. At some levels, for instance, spiritual interpretation, it may be appropriate that these meanings be kept secret from outsiders.