FAQ
These are corn, beans, and squash (or pumpkin).
The Native Americans had a tradition of planting corn, beans, and squash together in the same field because these important crops were mutually beneficial. We call them "The Three Sisters"
Corn stalks support climbing beans, and squash or pumpkins cover the ground, suppressing weeds and retaining moisture.
This planting method is also a way to honour the interconnectedness of the natural world, and to ensure a bountiful harvest. It is also an example of how important stories are in Abenaki life- these are not just plants, they are sisters who share a relationship. Everything has a story.
Are you really Native American?
Yes, my great-great grandmother ("Nokomis") was from the Abenaki people; I am not nor have I ever been a tribal member. I was taught by my grandfather, and through pow-wows and elders who spent time with my grandfather and so with me. I have great respect for my great-great grandmother's people, and do not wish to dishonour them by claiming I am a tribal member. I do however have Native American cultural heritage and a deep passion to share the many gifts this heritage has given.
Who writes the stories?
Depends! One of the skills a story teller learns is how to structure and deliver stories that touch the listeners: sharing culture, wisdom, and information are all important, but not everyone listens, learns, and absorbs the same way. The storyteller learns how to determine the best way to present the stories to benefit the listeners.
As well as learning traditional myths and legends, the storyteller learns to build new stories that follow the traditional path. Although most of the stories I tell are the traditional stories I was myself told as a child, some of the new stories are adaptations to better reflect modern sensitivities and understanding. Others are re-written to fit a method of delivery, such as a dramatic event, or guided imagery. Every story, no matter its design, is consistent with cultural values.
Another selection of my stories are those my grandfather told me... he loved to tell stories; it was not until I was much older that I found he had crafted these stories himself because he wanted to teach me or help me appreciate something and knew that if he said it was "A Story" I would listen.
Why don't you just write a book?
I have! On nursing! I love to write- but there is something incredibly special about story-telling. It goes to our earliest traditions, we had only started to use language when we started telling stories. Our history was handed down through someone's voice, not paper, for all but the past few thousand years... and in some cultures, that oral history is still essential not because there are no books but because the craft of the story teller adds a quality that books cannot: there is an intimacy and almost other-worldly quality to the times people sit together to listen to stories. It is an intensely human event, an interpersonal experience that would have been much the sae whether 10 thousand years ago or last weekend.
Its the closest thing to natural human magic that we have.
"Grandfather, why is it that...
"Ahh... there is a story about that... come, sit with me, I will tell you..."
Do you have a question? Message me and I will answer it.
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