Medstead Central School, on Feb. 14, was host to a storyteller who had the opportunity to hold a presentation of art and spirit. Darwin Atcheynum, proprietor of Atcheynum Native Arts, presented what one could call a speech, verbal documentary, or as referred to by many, simply a story. Darwin Atcheynum emphasized that, in his culture, truths and lessons were passed down from generation to generation by storytelling.
Darwin Atcheynum works with stone from all over the world, and, as he says, feels the Creator’s hands work through him as he changes the face of the stone and finds and carves out the message within. Coming from a family of more than 10 siblings, some adopted and some blood, Darwin’s mother identified him as the child who would be the storyteller and artist, saying the other children would need to go off to work, while he would spend his days working with his hands and passing on the lessons of his people.
Atcheynum said he felt picked on at the time, but in his adult years, understands the message his mother had for him and his purpose. Darwin Atcheynum worked teaching children art in schools for roughly 20 years. He says, in keeping with his people’s traditions, treating children as equals and with respect was always a part of his way. Working with stone carvings is something he has been doing for roughly 25 years.
Now, Darwin Atcheynum says, he will come across children he has taught grown into teenagers, married adults with families, and people becoming a part of the fabric of society. Two of his own children also practice art, one doing so in Wisconsin, the other here in Saskatchewan.
In the Medstead School gymnasium, Darwin Atcheynum told his story to the school population in two waves. First to the younger kids beginning at 9:30 a.m. and subsequently the remainder of the school, regaling a classic version of Genesis amongst the original population of this area.
According to Darwin Atcheynum, his family’s designated ovate, the tale, coined as The Grandfather Rock is as such: “The first living thing on the Earth was the Grandfather Rock, a large stone thrust into the Earth. Afterwards came the plants, the animals, and lastly the people. Looking around at Creation, the Creator wondered after who would look after the people. After some looking, a little church mouse came up to the Creator and squeaked, ‘I can look after them.’ The Creator spoke that ‘you are too little, someone will step on you.’ Next did come a moose, who volunteered to look after the people, the Creator, however, stated that the Moose was quite temperamental and would crush people. True to his nature, the moose charged the Creator; who, merely placing outward his hand, stopped cold the moose and left the imprint of a human hand on all future generations. After more time observing, did the solution dawn on the Creator when he pulled from deep within the Earth, the Grandfather Stone, saying it was strong, and still, simply listening and observing, holding all the ideal traits in a guardian of the people. Grandfather Stone, married to Mother Earth, still watches over the people to this day.”
Darwin Atcheynum, carries with him during all of his artistic ventures, a moose skull, showing the ease of placing the hand of a person into the indentation. Praying to Mother Earth for permission to alter the face of her husband and asking of the Grandfather Rock for guidance through his hands is always a part of Darwin Atcheynum’s carvings. Offerings of tobacco and sweetgrass are given in thanks and the sculpting from stone of the beauty and story beneath unfolds.
Atcheynum works with various types of earth, including alabaster, soap stone, African water-based stone which gets soaked in water and expands, glass pieces, and whatever nature presents. The first stone he carved was taken from a gravel pit. Darwin notes that with art featured in Battlefords Furniture, Atcheynun Native Arts, and a career storytelling and teaching, he lived up well to the plans of his mother.
When asked what lesson is meant by The Grandfather Rock, Atcheynun states, “To treat everyone with respect, no matter how big or small.”
As to storytelling itself, he notes, “If you don’t share and pass these on, no one will know. While working, I am always telling stories.”
According to the Saskatchewan Government’s Bureau of Statistics, the Saskatchewan population is constituent of 16.3 per cent aboriginal population. Consistent with the reputation of Medstead as a quality educational institution in the region, Medstead school showed its diversity, and willingness to carry on verbal traditions of a spectrum of stories in schools, representing its student body. In a country ever evolving, openness to prosperity through diversity as demonstrated by both the speech giver and its host school, is a good representation of the ability to integrate ideas in the minds of youth and adult alike.
