Part of what I have learned through my public speaking engagements is the importance of my role as a storyteller. It is not just my role – it is how we are all storytellers and how these stories are important. It is through stories that we teach and inform and inspire others by capturing the imagination and the spirit of a time, a place, a person or an idea.
Social Media has become a vehicle for storytelling. Recently I shared some photos of my trip to Red Lake for “Celebrating the Canoe”. Along with these photos telling part of the story through images, we began a conversation on Facebook about the story of Pow Wows in Red Lake and how the people had been forced to hold them in secret. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=17628&id=100000451497026&comments=
The story came to life as people joined the conversation sharing their experiences. This is so amazing, people coming forward via Facebook and other social media, telling their stories. The stars are aligning, opening up all the channels of communication, for the benefit of everyone.
“Who are we if we don’t have our stories”, was something I read was said by a Native Chief in reference to keeping the oral tradition of the legends and stories alive for future generations.
Red Lake is more interesting because of these stories, which must be told by all the people who have called it home, whether for one generation or many generations. It’s time for the stories to be told. I want to be a part of that process. Just by posting photos on Facebook, people have come forward. This is so exciting and at the same time a necessary part of our collective healing.
Let’s keep talking on Facebook about Red Lake, Celebrating the Canoe, Niichikwewak Beaders, the stories told and untold from communities across Ontario and Canada etc. so that others will come forward and tell their stories.
What is your story?
