Knowledge is passed from generation to generation through stories, and Aboriginal Storytelling Month is a celebration of that oral tradition. Lyle and Carol Daniels spoke to children at the Yorkton Public Library to tell stories and teach a bit of language and tradition in the process.
Lyle says that his primary goal for the month is to get kids to appreciate elders and seniors in their community. While part of Aboriginal Storytelling Month, he believes that the knowledge of the older generation is one of the things that is valuable in every culture.
“One cool thing that the non-aboriginal community has is a large number of seniors. In the aboriginal community it’s the opposite, we have a small number of elders and seniors.”
Since storytelling is the traditional way of passing knowledge between generations, Lyle thinks that it’s important to make that message a part of storytelling month.
“I want to leave a message with our young people to sit down with seniors because they have the gift of knowledge, years of experience and life-long learning that I think needs to be shared from one generation to the next.”
Bringing this message to kids is also a way of getting them to get together with seniors in their families and communities before they no longer has the chance.
“There are grandparents that are long gone that I wish I had the time to pick their brain and gain knowledge from them. We don’t think about that, and now that I’m in my early 50s I realize the importance of that. I want to be able to help youth and especially little kids understand the importance of our seniors and spending time with them. I definitely don’t want to make them feel sad, but to look at it as an opportunity. They won’t be around as long as we would like them to be, but at the same time they have a good deal of experience and so many of their own stories that they can share with young people.”
Storytelling is also how a culture stays alive, Lyle says, especially when there is little of the way in written records as is the case of the aboriginal people in the area.
“There was very little in the area of written word when it came to our ancestors living in this area. There is evidence of our people living in this area for thousands and thousands of years. Our way of getting that information is through storytelling. This is our way of making it available to anybody, and the importance of oral tradition to ensure young people learn from the knowledge of other people.
While educational, the goal is to make it a fun experience, with lots of audience participation and involvement from the kids. Lyle admits that February can be cold and kids can feel trapped indoors, so telling stories is a way to make the best of a Canadian winter.
“It’s a good opportunity for them to just enjoy the day, get out of the classroom, enjoy some stories and just participate in some fun and laughter.”
