dawnland storyfest 2021 program
TRANSCRIPT
14 Hancock StreetPortsmouth, NH 603.433.1100STRAWBERYBANKE.ORG
NEW HAMPSHIRE ’S ANNUAL NATIVE AMERICAN STORYTELLING FESTIVAL
Digital Program
Saturday, November 13, 2021 from 10 AM to 6 PM EST
DAWNLANDDAWNLANDSTORYFESTSTORYFEST
This project was made possible with support from New HampshireHumanities, in partnership with the National Endowment for theHumanities. Learn more at nhhumanities.org
Welcome to Dawnland StoryFest 2021, New Hampshire’s annual NativeAmerican storytelling festival! This event is hosted virtually via Zoom byStrawbery Banke in connection with the Museum’s permanent “Peopleof the Dawnland” exhibit.
Today’s daylong event features storytelling “concerts“ or performancesby five experienced Indigenous Northeast storytellers as well as akeynote address. The day has been designed to include breaks, but youare also welcome to choose which sessions you would like to attend.While you are free to come and go from the Zoom meeting room, pleasedo so between, rather than during, performances. Please keep yourcamera and mic turned off during performances and the keynote.
Additionally, you are invited to attend a “Swapping Grounds” storysharing session to share a traditional Native American lesson story—orjust to listen. You are welcome to prepare a short story ahead of time ifyou would like the chance to share with a supportive audience. You arewelcome to turn your cameras on during these sessions.
There will be optional time for attendees and tellers to mingle at thebeginning and end of the day—you may turn your cameras and mics on.
Please help us prepare for next year's event by participating in ouranonymous feedback survey! https://forms.gle/hDbF2ZV1MospyZCc7
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DAWNLAND STORYFESTDAWNLAND STORYFEST
DEDICATIONDEDICATIONThe 2021 Dawnland StoryFest is dedicated in memory of the life and work
of Wolf Song, a well-respected and much loved Vermont Abenaki Storyteller
Wolf Song (He Who Sings the Wolf Song), Abenaki storyteller fromVermont, passed over on November 24, 2000. Wolf Song was born(Rickie Provencher) on April 25, 1953, in Middlebury, Vermont. Wolf Songwas only 47 years old—much too young—when he was taken away by asudden cardiac arrest.
Wolf Song embraced his Abenaki heritage and drew audiences into acircle of sharing, laughter and wisdom by sharing the ancient voices ofNative American traditional stories and legends throughout the UnitedStates and Canada. Wolf Song studied with Abenaki, Cherokee, andTuscarora Elders and teachers. His lectures and stories reflected hisinnate respect for women, humanity’s connection to the Earth and thecyclical nature of life.
Wolf Song’s intent was to pass on the legacy and wisdom of hisancestors. As Wolf Song would say, “Our bones are made of the earth,the earth is made of our bones.“ He asked his audiences to rememberthat as they walk on this land, they are walking on the bones of ourancestors. Wolf Song’s mastery of acquainting his audiences with thebreadth, depth and inherent value of Indigenous cultures will be longremembered. He believed it important for people to understand thelegacy that Native Americans have and are giving to American society. Hebelieved that it was necessary to embrace the past to consciously chooseand direct our future.
Wolf Song shared his heart and time generously with everyone aroundhim. His gift of laughter, love of life and his embrace and respect of theEarth will never be forgotten. Wolf Song touched many people’s lives andhearts—including Anne Jennison and Jonathan Cummings, two of thisyear’s Dawnland StoryFest storytellers. He was thankful for those whowere a part of his walk. Now we want say “Wliwni” (thank you) to WolfSong for sharing his joy of life and for providing inspiration to thestorytellers who were privileged to learn from him.
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AFTERNOON
1:15 PM Deborah SpearsMoorehead’sStorytellingPerformance
2:05 PM Anne Jennison’sStorytellingPerformance
2:50 PM Afternoon break
3:10 PM Louise Profeit-LeBlanc’s Keynote:“Still Nurturing:Stories from our Pastand Present to Feedthe Future”
MORNING
10:00 AM Zoom room opensfor guests to mingle
10:15 AM Welcoming,Acknowledgements,Smudging, andDedication
10:20 AM Hears Crow’sStorytellingPerformance
11:10 AM Darlene Kascak’sStorytellingPerformance
NOON Lunch break 4:00 PM Jonathan Cummings’“Swapping Grounds“Session II12:30 PM Jonathan Cummings’
“Swapping Grounds“ Session I 4:40 PM Louise Profeit-
LeBlanc’s StorytellingPerformance
5:30 PM Q&A, Closing, andtime to mingle
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PROGRAMPROGRAM
Louise Profeit-LeBlanc (Ts’e Itzoh - “TheBeaver Woman”) is from the NachoNyak Dän First Nation, which is established inthe village of Mayo, in northeastern Yukon. In2002, she moved south and took on anational position as the Indigenous ArtsCoordinator for the Canada Council for theArts where she continues to live on theUnceded Territory of the Algonquin people.Since her retirement in 2013, she has beenpursuing her own artistic career as aTraditional Storyteller/keeper, writer, guestspeaker, textile artist, poet and mentor forthe younger generations, all of whichcontinue to bring her great joy. She hastravelled extensively to many places in theworld as a storyteller/storykeeper andcultural ambassador. She believes strongly inthe unity of all people and strives to honourthis belief, by sharing traditional Indigenousknowledge that can bring us all together asone, on this planet. She is grateful to beinvited as as guest speaker to the DawnlandStoryFest this year. Mussi Cho!For more information, contact Louise at [email protected]
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KEYNOTE SPEAKERKEYNOTE SPEAKER
Hears Crow (Nootauau Kaukôntuah - “SheHears it from him, the Crow“) is a womanof the Eastern Woodlands who lives her life inthe tradition of the Nanhigganêuck, thepeople known today as the Narragansett. Sheis a Storyteller of Longhouse Tales, told inmany different ways, including Native SignLanguage, call and response, and othertraditional styles. Hears Crow has twice beenawarded publishing contracts for her book ofpoetry and is currently completing a Nativechildren’s novel. She is the Vermont StateLiason to the National Storytelling Network, aYouth Storyteller Mentor through the ArtistsStanding Strong Together organization (ASST)and also a Guest Teacher at theTransformation Storytelling School. Shebrings to life these oral traditions at libraries,schools, community centers, Indigenousgatherings, and wherever the stories leadher. As a kuhkootomwehteaen (one whoshares knowledge) with more than thirty fiveyears of storytelling in different styles, sheshares the culture of the Longhouse Peoplethrough their stories. For more information, contact HearsCrow at [email protected]
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STORYTELLER BIOSSTORYTELLER BIOS
Darlene Kascak is the Education Directorand Visitor Services Coordinator for TheInstitute for American Indian StudiesMuseum, located in Washington, CT. Darleneis an enrolled member of the SchaghticokeTribal Nation of Kent, CT, and a TraditionalNative American Storyteller. She serves onThe Women’s Traditional Council for herTribe, whose mission is to protect, preserveand pass down the Schaghticoke history,traditions, and cultural beliefs from onegeneration to the next. Her passion for tellingstories and sharing the life lessons theycontain spark the imagination of people bothyoung and old. She believes that these lifelessons taught through children’s stories canhelp all of us become better human beings.For more information, contact Darlene [email protected]
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STORYTELLER BIOSSTORYTELLER BIOS
Deborah Spears Moorehead (KutooSeepoo- “Talking Water“) is an internationallyknown Native American, WampanoagStoryteller, and a visual and performing artist,an author, a cultural bearer, an educationalconsultant, and a songwriter. She co-foundedNettukkusqk Singers, an all Native Americanwomen’s hand-drum learning, teaching, andperforming group. For over 30 years Deborahhas educated audiences on Native Americansubject matters through art, literature,lectures, and musical performances. Sheholds a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from SwainSchool of Design and a Master’s in Arts inCultural Sustainability from Goucher College.She is Seaconke Pokanoket Wampanoag, anddescends from Chief Sachem Massasoit, whobefriended the Pilgrims in Plymouth,Massachusetts, in 1620, and saved their livesthrough their first winter in North America.Deborah authored the book Finding Balance:The Genealogy of Massasoit’s People and Oraland Written History of the Seaconke PokanoketWampanoag Tribal Nation, published by BlueHand books and available through Amazon.This book dispels many negative biases andstereotypes regarding Native Americanculture and history and offers a Wampanoagperspective on America’s history. For more information, contact Deborah [email protected]
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STORYTELLER BIOSSTORYTELLER BIOS
Anne Jennison is a traditional NativeAmerican storyteller with both European andAbenaki heritage. Anne's storytelling skillshave been polished by more than 30 years ofexperience sharing Indigenous lesson storieswith audiences of all kinds. With MasterDegrees in both Storytelling and History,Anne also brings a wealth of cultural andhistorical knowledge to enrich her retelling oftimeless Northeast Woodlands NativeAmerican stories. Anne is listed on the NewHampshire Traditional Artists Roster as atraditional Abenaki storyteller &craftsperson. Anne is also a member of boththe NH Commission on Native AmericanAffairs and the Indigenous NH CollaborativeCollective. Additionally, Anne is an affiliatefaculty member for the University of NewHampshire Native American and IndigenousStudies (NAIS) Minor and a co-creator of the“People of the Dawnland“ interpretive exhibitabout the Abenaki/Wabanaki peoples atStrawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth,NH. For more information, contact Anne [email protected]
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STORYTELLER BIOSSTORYTELLER BIOS
Jonathan Cummings grew up fascinated bytrickster tales, Indigenous stories, and thepower of myth. To Jonathan, as stated byBrandon Sanderson, “The purpose of astoryteller is not to tell you how to think, butto give you questions to think upon.”Jonathan gets his audience thinking in twoways. His adventure—and more oftenmisadventure—tales explore nature, survival,and human interactions from his wanderingsto out of the way places in New England andbeyond, while his retelling of Native Americanstories often ask audiences to explore adifferent way of imaging, experiencing, andinteracting with the world. These storiesoften draw on Jonathan’s experience listeningto Wolf Song, the late Abenaki storyteller.Jonathan is a member of the NH StorytellingAlliance and the Seacoast Storytellers. For more information, contact Jonathan [email protected]
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Barton, Bob, and David Booth, Stories in the Classroom: Storytelling, ReadingAloud, and Role Playing with Children, Heineman, 1990. Bettleheim, Bruno, The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance ofFairy Tales, Vintage, 1997. Birch, Carol, The Whole Story Handbook, August House, 2000. Birch, Carol, and Heckler, Melissa, eds, "Who Says?" Essays on Pivotal Issues inContemporary Storytelling. Little Rock, AR: August House, 1996.Campbell, Joseph, The Hero With a Thousand Faces (3rd ed.). New WorldLibrary, 2012Capra, Fritjof, The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems.New York: Anchor Books, 1996. Collins, Rives and Pamela J. Cooper, The Power of Stories, Waveland Press 1997. Davis, Donald, Writing as a Second Language, August House, 2000. Egan, Kieran, Teaching as Story Telling, University of Chicago Press, 1986. Egan, Kieran, Imagination in Teaching and Learning, University of Chicago Press,1992. Estés, Clarissa Pinkola. Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories ofthe Wild Woman Archetype. New York: Ballantine Books, 1992. Gottschall, J. The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human. Boston:Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012. Greene, Ellin. Storytelling: Art and Technique, 3rd edition. New Providence, NJ:Bowker, 1996. Hamilton, Martha and Mitch Weiss, Children Tell Stories, Richard C. OwenPublishers, 2005. Holt, David and Bill Mooney, The Storytellers Guide, August House, 1996.Sawyer, Ruth, The Way of the Storyteller, Viking, 1942, revised 1962, PenguinBooksStone, Merlin, When God Was a Woman, Orlando: Harcourt, Inc. 33rd printing,2014.
Storytelling – A Recommended Reading List for a Background on AllKinds of Storytelling, from Philosophy to Practical Tips for Tellers
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RESOURCESRESOURCES
This project was made possible with support from New HampshireHumanities, in partnership with the National Endowment for theHumanities. Learn more at nhhumanities.org
Abenaki Calendar and Indigenous Food - Sustainable Agriculture -indigenousnh.com/indigenous-food Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki People (New Hampshire) -cowasuck.orgElnu Abenaki Tribe (Vermont) - elnuabenakitribe.org First Nations Development Institute - firstnations.org Indigenous New Hampshire Collaborative Collective - indigenousnh.comIndian Country Today E-Weekly Newsletter - indiancountrytoday.com Jesse Bruchac - Abenaki Language teacher, dialect coach, storyteller, musician -jbruchac.com and westernabenaki.com Joseph Bruchac - Abenaki Storyteller, Poet, and Author - josephbruchac.com (Check out his backlist, including the entire Keepers series, co-authored withMichael Caduto: Keepers of the Earth, Keepers of the Animals, Keepers of Life, andKeepers of the Night)Koasek Traditional Band of the Sovereign Abenaki People -koasekabenakination.comMassachusetts Center for Native American Awareness, Inc. - mcnaa.org Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum (MKIM) – indianmuseum.orgN’dakinna Education Center - ndakinnacenter.org NE Powwow Schedule (a downloadable pdf ) -wanderingbull.com/Powwowschedules.aspPeople of the Dawnland exhibit - Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, NH -strawberybanke.org/dawnland.cfm Sokoki Sojourn: Observations and Experiences in the Kwenitekw Dawnland - ablog with many good thoughts and much good information about the Abenaki,past and present - sokokisojourn.wordpress.com/awikhiganak Smithsonian - National Museum of the American Indian - nmai.si.eduThe Little Bull - Native American Art and Jewelry - thelittlebull.com University of Massachusetts Press, Native Americans of the Northeast BookSeries -There are some wonderful books in this list, including a newly publishedcollection of Gluskabe Stories in English and in Penobscot -umasspress.com/search- results/?series=native-americans-of-the-northeast The Wandering Bull - Native American Gift, Clothing, Craft Supplies -wanderingbull.com Western Abenaki Language Revitalization Project - westernabenaki.com
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RESOURCESRESOURCES