Narrative practices are essential for the speakers of the Arapaho language. While traditional oral narratives play a crucial role in transmitting knowledge and the support of culture, conversational stories help speakers connect to their interlocutors, entertain, and create solidarity. Interactional techniques and linguistic mechanisms of Arapaho story initiations have not been researched before. Still, they present value both to the field of linguistics and to the learners of the language. This dissertation analyzes over one hundred conversational stories to learn about how the Arapaho language directs narrative initiation. In the rigorous analysis that uses anthropological methodologies and conversation analysis, the researcher demonstrates the interconnectedness between the Arapaho grammar, the narrative practice, and sociocultural norms. To begin with, the study examines the linguistic devices used in naturally occurring conversational stories and describes their use in the grammar of narrative initiation. Such linguistic devices as elongation, intonation, rhythm, use of subordinate clauses, demonstratives, and reported speech to allow speakers to formally begin an extended turn communicating to the recipient that more talk will follow. Recipients can ratify or reject the speaker's bid to tell more, and with that, they can contribute to the telling. Besides formal linguistic devices, interactional cues such as self-repair and recipient response also contribute to the telling. Most importantly, the type of linguistic device used helps establish a participation framework among the interlocutors resulting in the success of the telling. This study claims that the connection between the linguistic devices and participant roles is established through the evoked authority. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]