Joanne Cripps
Anita Small

In 1965, Unesco adopted the view that rather than an end in itself, literacy should be regarded as a way of preparing man [or woman] for a social, civic and economic role that goes far beyond the limits of rudimentary literacy training consisting merely in the teaching of reading and writing. -'Literacy, Gateway to Fulfilment,' special issue of Unesco Courier, June 1980

A culture of our own to share
We, the Deaf community, turn to each other for cultural knowledge and fulfillment. More and more, we recognize and appreciate the unique talents of fellow Deaf people. We are inspired, for example, by those among us who are particularly eloquent users of ASL (American Sign Language), a visually accessible language that is acquired naturally in much the same way spoken language is learned by individuals who can hear.

Drawn together by common experiences, needs and aspirations, Deaf people have developed a strong sense of identity and belonging to what we proudly refer to as 'Deaf culture.' Our literature reflects this culture, in its particular visual beauty, in the experiences and values shared, in the artistic uses of our language, ASL, and in the characters portrayed in our stories.

There are currently few Canadian-produced videotapes of ASL literature, and the rich variety of ASL literature genres has not been preserved in Canada. Almost all ASL literature videotapes in existence have been produced outside Canada.

Several Canadian Deaf artists who have had their work published have done so in the United States. (Canadian Deaf artist Julie Martin of British Columbia, for example, has been recorded in the renowned U.S. videotape, ASL Poetry: The Collected Works of Clayton Vali. Similarly, there are no Canadian-produced children's picture books written by Canadian Deaf authors including Deaf experience or characters. The one published children's book, Silent Observer by Canadian-born Deaf author Christy Mackinnon of Nova Scotia, was published in the U.S.)

Editor's Note
'Deaf' with initial capital throughout this article appears at the request of the authors, who use 'Deaf' when referring to all deaf individuals to indicate that ASL and deaf culture are the birthright of every deaf individual by virtue of their having been born deaf or becoming deaf in childhood, whether or not they have been exposed to it.

Canadian Deaf Heritage Literature Project

The purpose of the Canadian Deaf Heritage Literature Project is to preserve, expand and make accessible the literatures of both American Sign Language and English to the Canadian Deaf community and to Canadian society. The project is being carried out in collaboration with the Deaf community, TVOntario and Kids Netword. The Canadian Deaf Heritage Literature Project is funded by the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf, headquartered in Edmonton (www.ccsdeaf.com), and Human Resources Development Canada.

The project will:
- produce ASL literature and English literature videotapes for children ages 4 to 19 (with TVOntario)
- design accompanying training manuals for hearing and Deaf parents of Deaf/hearing children, for teachers and for members of the community
- expand ASLL literature and Deaf literature awards program
- produce Deaf Heritage Sharing Kits (see sidebar) for libraries and other public facilities across Canada

For more information contact Joanne S. Cripps, Project Director, Canadian Deaf Heritage Literature Project, P.O. Box 21034, Zehrs Holiday Inn Postal Outlet, Cambridge, ON N3C 4B1; TTY: 519-658-8296; Fax: 519-51-0834; email: joanne@deafconnect.com; or Anita R. Small, Head of Research and Development, V/TTY: 905-886-9773; Fax: 905-886-3010; email: asmallaslenglit@home.com.

The Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf can be reached at CCSD Headquarters, House 144, 11337-61 Ave., Edmonton, AB T6H 1M3; TTY: 780-436-2599; Fax: 780-430-9489; email: ccsd@connect.ab.ca.

Useful definitions Literature exists in two forms: oral and written. Both oral and written literature require cultural harmony between the teller, the tale and the audience. The teller and the audience must share a common cultural understanding of the literary work and its social context in order for it to be successful. Without these shared values, meanings and norms, the literature would not be understood.1 Since ASL is an unwritten language, ASL literature is of the oral literature tradition.2

American Sign Language literature is a body of stories, legends, poems, riddles, humour and other genres told in ASL that has been passed on from one generation to another by culturally Deaf people.3

Deaf literature is a body of written stories, poems, songs and other genres that include Deaf characters, Deaf culture, Deaf identity, and Deaf experiences.4

Deaf heritage includes works of art, cultural achievements, and folklore of culturally Deaf people that have been passed on from earlier generations of culturally Deaf people.5

References
1 V. Edwards and T. Sienkewicz, Oral Cultures Past and Present: Rappin and Homer (Cambridge, Mass.: Basil Blackwell, 1990).
2 Benjamin J. Bahan, "ASL Literature: Inside the Story," in Deaf Studies: What's up? (Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet University, 1992), 153-166.
3 Andrew Byrne, "ASL Storytelling to Deaf Children: 'More, More, More!'" in Teacher Research in a Bilingual/Bicultural School for Deaf Students, ed. Dorothy Smith and Anita Small, Bilingual/Bicultural Education for Deaf Students, Monograph Series no. 1 (Toronto: Ontario Ministry of Education and Training, 1996), 49-62.
4 . Lynn Jacobwitz, American Sign Language Literature (course ASL 311), Department of American Sign Language, Linguistics and Interpretation, Gallaudet University, 1998.
5 Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf, 1999.

Deaf Heritage Sharing Kits
The following books and videos are included in the kits, which also include colourful posters on literacy, Deaf literature and ASL literature.

Bobier, David, ed. Signing On: Adopting a Cultural Perspective. London, Ont.: McIntosh Gallery, 1995.
Byrne, Andrew. A-Z Stories: Professions (1999). [videotape]
Byrne, Andrew. Number stories: Animals (1999). [videotape]
Carbin, Clifton F. Deaf Heritage in Canada. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1996.
Cummins, Jim, and David Corson, eds. Bilingual Education. Vol.5 of Encyclopedia of Language and Education. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Kluwer Academic publishers, 1998.
Gibson, Heather, et al. Bilingual Bicultural Education for Your Deaf Child. Toronto: Ontario Ministry of Education and Training, 1999 [videotape]
Mackinnon, Christy. Silent Observer. Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet University Press, 1993.
Nickerson, Forrest C. A Deaf Artist's Trails. Altona, Man.: D.W. Friesen and Sons Ltd., 1982.
Ontario Association of the Deaf/Ontario Cultural Society of the Deaf, You and Your Deaf Child. Toronto: Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf, 1996.
Roots, J. The Politics of Visual Language: Deafness, Language Choice, and Political Socialization, Montreal; Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1999.
Small, Anita and Dorothy Smith, eds. Teacher Research in a Bilingual/Bicultural School for Deaf Students. Bilingual/Bicultural School for Deaf students monograph series no.1. Toronto: Ontario Ministry of Education and Training, 1996.
Stratiy, A. Pursuit of A.S.L. Interpreting Consolidated. [videotape]

Kits are available from the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf for $190.20 plus shipping and handling. For more information or to order a kit, contact the CCSD Bookstore.

Joanne Cripps is Project Director and Anita Small is Head of Research and Development with the Canadian Deaf Heritage Literature Project.