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Great storytelling exists today virtually




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Whenever I get to meet with elders, it is such an enjoyment to hear their stories. Way back when I was a young girl, my mother and older relatives would tell stories and I would be hanging right in there listening. I only wished I asked questions. My siblings sometimes called me nosy rosy, after my middle name Rose. Probably what lead me to be in news business as a newspaper woman.

I learned this from my mother, you have to make it interesting for people to listen or the subject matter had to be worth something. She had great skills at that. There were many, many nights I would fall asleep listening to her tell her stories. Stories she learned from her parents and from grandparents, uncles and aunties. And most had a lesson to be learned.

Storytelling, a communication skill our ancestors carried that sustained our culture for hundreds of years.

When the pandemic hit, it was amazing to see some of our tribal organizations come forth with some great ways to help families still get the services they needed. Thunder Valley, Inc had a series of storytellers that brought out several hundred people each evening to listen and watch. Their Pheta Kailepi elder storytelling series is not available for review though and maybe that will be possible in the future. Actually, they have started it again, this time in partnership with United Tribes. It is going to be seven weeks long, four evenings a week. They have not listed their line up yet but that is something to watch for and you can find out more on their social media pages.

Currently, Oaye Luta Okolakiciye out of Rapid City is doing a storytelling series on Monday evenings, that you can log in to with your phone or computer. If you are interested in the series, they have a Facebook page you can find the links.

Then also Little Wound School’s Project Aware Presents: Ohunkakan which is offering a storytelling series with five elders on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. These will be throughout the month of February and March. You can see their social media pages ago for the link to listen in on those.

Remember you don’t have to have a computer, you can download the platform they use on your phone and just link to and listen. Most of the time they have control of muting and video so don’t be afraid you might accidently be on video or they if can hear you.

And speaking of technology, it has been making it easier for us to preserve our culture and language. I would like to tell you something about your family history search that has made it easier for me when I go ask elders to take copies of their images. And you know how some people when they have a treasure, they don’t want to let it out of their sight in fear it might not come back.

Sometimes you or your family may have negatives saved up from long time ago. Nowadays we have phone cameras and it much easier to take photos and have images instantly than it was 10 years ago. I still have family members who have tons of negatives, including me. Today you can download apps (phone apps too) and use them to process your negatives. Many of them you can download on your phone like Photomyne, PhotoNegativeScanner and many others. Just look them up on the Internet. Make sure you have a light table type of background, place the negative on it and take a pic and run it through the app. The app will take a pic of the negative and revert it to a photo. Some of them you can even change the black and white negatives to color. For example, I just take a white sheet of paper and place it over a lamp top. Or you can make your computer screen all white and use that. Sometimes you can look it up and find a light table type of screen to download for that purpose. And course some of these apps require purchasing them. And like I have said before not sure if it is called cheating or just trying it out. You can download subscriptions to apps on a trial basis, use it and cancel before payment happens. There used to be a time when you had send off those negatives or take them into the dark room to process but with technology, processing is much easier. And if you want a print just output and take to Walmart or somewhere and make prints or print on your printer. Just be aware these types of apps don’t give the greatest quality but you can do this for viewing and if you need really good resolution, then get them processed.

(Amanda Takes War Bonnet currently works for the Native Women’s Society of the Great Plains, has four children and 13 grandchildren. Her and husband Dr. Archie Beauvais do occasionally writing on culture. takeswar@goldenwest.net.)

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