Nanabozho & The Unofficial Elementary School Practice

For most of Monday, January 26th and for part of Tuesday, January 27th, I told stories at the Bonneville Elementary School in Salt Lake City.

I did five sessions for the K-2 grades, three sessions for the 3-4 grades, and three sessions for the 5-6 grades.

Since the theme for the 3-4 graders was of Utah and Native American stories, I added the Nanabozho and Winter-Maker story to the set.

This is a story that is told within the Forsaken Brother story.

I knew the Nanabozho story could stand on its own.

Besides, today was usually when I met with Julie Barnson, my story buddy for Forsaken Brother. In some ways, I still got a little practice time in.

Not only did the Nanabozho story go well, I thought it was my strongest out of the set.

My confidence boosted and I smiled on the drive home from the school.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

"Forsaken Brother": When a Practice goes Right

After practicing the "Forsaken Brother" story, I had to smile.

Last week I was so nervous to tell the story for fear of making mistakes. Julie Barnson, my story buddy, had mentioned that I seemed to force the words out rather than have the flow I usually have when I tell.

Today I seemed to be on a journey to the lake, hills, and trees that permeate this story. I enjoyed the images and the words came more freely.

Not only had my confidence soured, but I told the story without stopping or major stumblings. There are still word choices to polish, but overall the telling was good.

Last night I reviewed elements of Ojibwa culture from the Juvenile Literature books. In particular, I focused on images within each of the seasons.

Summer = Neebing

• Wild strawberries, raspberries, cherries, and June berries
• Corn ripened
• Blueberries dot the forest floor

Fall = Dagwaging

• Splendor of red, yellow, and orange leaves
• Women harvest the crops
• Paddle in birch bark canoes on lakes and marshes to gather wild rice that grows as three to five feet tall grasses

Winter = Beboong

• Snowshoes on so to search for deer and rabbit
  
• Silhouettes against purple sky
• Rivers and lakes disappear under the snow
• Scattered and isolated camps so families can survive the long and bitter season

Spring = Zeegwung

• Tap maple trees for maple sugar
• Thawed earth is time to dig with sticks to plant seeds of corn, beans, and squash
• Spear hunt fish during night time when ice thaws from winter
  

Some of these images were shared for the story.

Of most importance was the night time fish spear hunting. When I read a version of "Forsaken Brother" for the first time, I always imagined that the brother went during the day. Reading about the culture let me know that it was at night, which made this scene of the story more eerie and haunting. The climax happens during this time.

Though it was a great practice, I still need to figure out how to tell the story "Nanabozho and Winter-Maker" within "Forsaken Brother".

As the overall mood of "Forsaken Brother" is sad and gloomy, the telling of "Nanabozho and Winter-Maker" is a chance to lighten the mood and bring in humor. This Nanabozho story could be told in a fairy tale type way. Besides, the audience will be able to better distinguish between the two stories easier if done in a different style.

Meanwhile, guitarist Joshua Payne experimented with soundscapes. He had a chime-like sound during the Nanabozho story that worked extremely well. When we got to the climax, the increased tension and energy to the story reflected in his playing, which, in turn, inspired me to increase my energy even more.

It is fascinating how the "Forsaken Brother" story has evolved since 2005.

When a story evolves, then it has life. When a story has life, then it continues to evolve.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

"Forsaken Brother" & Ojibwa Influences on the Boy

There are so many beautiful cultures in the world, and, as a storyteller, I do my best to honor them.

The same is for the Ojibwa people.

I shared what I learned with Julie Barnson, my story buddy for "Forsaken Brother", and we were also able to discover even more elements that could prove crucial to the telling of the tale.



Ojibwa Cultural Elements that may Shape Story:

• The boy will be at least seven-years-old as this is the age when children are expected to help with the chores. Perhaps I will place him at age eight about to turn nine as this could add to why the older sister feels she must abandon him.
• When boys reach age twelve, they go on a Vision Quest. Though the boy in "Forsaken Brother" will not yet be this age, he could reflect on this future ceremony. During a Vision Quest, there is fasting that is chosen of the boy's own free will. Whereas, in this story, he is forced to starve. A Vision Quest is often connected to sights or sounds for the boy only. Listening to the wolves howl and seeing them off in the distance could seem like a vision at first but then realizes that they are truly before him.
• The words for food and water in the language would add more culture to the story. For example, the word for "water" is "nibi" or pronounced "ne-be".
• At one point the boy finds shelter in a tree. Though the type is not shared in the original story, I may make it a maple tree. The Ojibwa would gather syrup as families. The boy could take his fingers and peel the bark away, attempting to make a hole, and then remember that it is wintertime and the syrup comes in spring. The tree that once gave him food could not at his time of greatest need.
• While huddled in the tree, he could reflect on a story or two about Nanabozho, a half spirit/half human being. Nanabozho is credited with the discovery of wild rice as well as hunting skills. He also drove Winter-Maker away so spring could come and food be present once more. Of all times, these skills are needed for the boy. This could be a little story within a story.
• The family may be part of the Nooke ("Tender", i.e. Bear) clan, which is known for healing and defense. These attributes are prominent in the story. The bear, lynx, and wolf are part of the Nooke totem/doodem. It is the largest totem.
• When someone is ill, it is thought to be of the spirit as well as for the physical body. I have added that the sister could see her father's eyes through the eyes of her younger brother. The eyes are often thought as the "window to the soul".
• Mourning for the dead--There is mourning for about a year and then you can join the community again. This could partly explain why the lodge was so far from the village at the beginning of the story. The sister may have been surprised when the older brother left the lodge so soon as the year of mourning was not complete for the passing of the father or of the mother.
  
• Ritual for the dead--The dead are placed in special clothing and have a spirit bundle that holds a lock of the dead person's hair. Then the dead are wrapped in a blanket and birchbark. The body is removed from the west side of the wigwam and food is placed with them. A close family member dances around the open grave. A barkhouse is made and reflects the symbol of the family's clan over the grave.
• The boy would know about the food buried with his father and mother, though the thought to get the food would never have crossed his mind.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller