"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

"The Gardener's Wife" and Character Sketches

Each time I see Holly Robison, my story buddy for "The Gardener's Wife", I like to have goals in mind.

This time I wanted to figure out the character and personality of the Gardener's Wife, the one I transformed into the main character. I also wanted to explore how the Garden itself is a character.

On other days I may delve into the personalities of the other characters.

If I know people in real life who are like the characters, then I have done a good job.

Holly asked questions and I responded to what I thought was the correct answer. Some questions required further understanding of the Colombian culture. I checked out all the books possible on the country--at least in Davis County!


Questions for the Gardener's Wife:

• What is her house like? This says a lot about a person. I will need to research what is common in Colombia.
• What is her favorite color? Bright blue or maroon.
• What does she do in her spare time? She loves to go off into the mountains, walk among the ruins. From the plateau, she enjoys leaning against the pine and oak trees to see the view. (Yes, there are pine and oak trees in Colombia.)
• What is her favorite plant? Squash, as it reminds her of a baby when seen a certain way. Her husband does not see it like that and only grows them because the king likes them.
• What are her typical facial expressions or postures? She tends to cock her head, usually because she dreams of when she will have a real baby in her arms rather than an imaginary one. She uses both arms for most gestures with the palms up or cupping shape as if she is always giving. This is opposite of the three sisters in the story who are always taking.

Questions of the Garden:

• What type of garden is it? There are almost all the plants of Colombia, especially as the queen says that it is only missing three things: the bird that speaks, the orange tree that dances, and the water that jumps and leaps.
• How many types of plants are in it? There are about 4,000 species of plants. There are 3,000 orchid species.
• How many kind of birds? There are 1,500 species of birds.
• What are some examples of plants in the garden? Vanilla trees, ginger, castor beans, papayas, mangoes, melons, pineapple, passion fruit, bananas, coconut, and the list goes on.
• Of what importance is the garden to the story? The garden causes the request from the queen. These turn into quests for the three youth. It is also believed that the condition of the environment is tied to politics, economics, and relations with the world.
  

Every session with Holly opens my eyes even more to how much I love this story.

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

Exploring Day & Night Opposites in Family Life

As I read multicultural tales and reflect on my own life, certain images or actions of characters could guide me to think of positive or negative attributes in family life. It is like finding the differences between the sun and the moon.

I will begin and end with the positive ones and address some of the negative ones in the center of the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" narrative production.

Here are two lists to consider--

Positive Attributes in Family Life

• Love unfeigned--charity, caring for others' welfare despite any wrongdoing
• Acceptance--seeing others in eternal perspective, judging with compassion
• Integrity--being honest, a personal commitment to doing right
• Persuasion--teaching with compassion, kindly pointing out advantages and disadvantages of situations
• Gentleness--soft, not treating others harshly
• Trust--lovingly allowing others to exercise their agency to choose right or wrong and to accept the consequence
• Responsibility--acknowledging and assuming your role in any situation including repenting for past wrongdoing
• Meekness--humility, uncomplaining, and teachable

Negative Attributes in Family Life

• Physical force--being hostile and unfairly using physical strength
• Blame--condemning others' faults without compassion
• Accusation--provoking guilt, reminding people of their mistakes to punish them and justify oneself
• Intimidation--ruling by fear because others are afraid of one's power
• Threat--expressing an intent to physically or emotionally harm someone
• Pride--self-righteously preaching moral truths and condemning others
• Self-centeredness--refusing to accept responsibility for your actions
• Haughtiness--being unteachable, proud, and pessimistic
  

After reading stories, I may categorize which attribute(s) surface. Though above all, the stories must resonate with me so that I feel motivated to share them in the first place.

Until we tell again,
Rachel Hedman
Professional Storyteller
Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance
(801) 870-5799
info@rachelhedman.com
http://www.rachelhedman.com
How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com
Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com