This is no longer the case. But this is not cause for undue concern. Indeed, oral tradition has metamorphosed into various forms to keep with the times and become accessible to more and more. Parting words Enid Blytons and Carolyn Keenes are all very fun and make for light-hearted reading but they are reflections of other cultures, other mores. It is crucial for our children and future generations to be keyed into our own cultural heritage as well as being global cyber-savvy citizens.
Oral traditions are the key to the treasure chest of our literary and cultural heritage.
In North America, there is a profusion of workshops, seminars and events to showcase their Native American oral traditions and celebrate their roots. It is an idea worth looking into. The mass media can do its part in promoting oral traditions from various regions, and put them on the map by letting people in other regions appreciate their worth. The Internet, rather than being seen as an end to our oral traditions, can be used as a tool to popularize them with new web sites dedicated to heritage and literature. It's time to dust away the cobwebs and showcase our traditions for what they are, inspiring and eternal.