Good listening is cultivated, somewhat as an art among Indian people. Silence is respected, and courtesy is expected. People are taught not to talk while others speak, to pay attention and not to look speakers directly in the eyes. One does not eat or drink during traditional storytelling since the listener's mind is on the food and not the lesson being taught. There are also rules about who can pass-on traditions and to whom.
Men tell some things, women tell others.
There are some things that are told only a t night and others reserved for the daylight hours. Like language itself these rules vary from tribe to tribe. In these stories, people learn etiquette and about the animals and plants that must be sacrificed to sustain human existence. They are like gospels, sacred messages sent to explain relationships and obligations. Often these are told by the elders, to children often at night, but sometimes in a seasonal round of stories.