if . . .

The end of term brings final presentations.  A Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program ( SUNTEP ) group chose to play with the tool blacklight . They told a story of the creation of the medicine wheel. Mixing a natural animal soundscape with Electric Powwow  The Creator: 4 Medicines   a piece of disarming simplicity emerged to reveal untold depth. There was no narration just movement, sound & image. They affectionately called the music "dubstep powwow". The presentation ended with members of the class making a medicine wheel which glowed in the blacklight as seen in the photo. Within the written documentation was a deeply personal statement. Shared with permission. "A personal account that I had with a Sacred Eagle was last August.  Last August my 18-year-old cousin was traveling from Saskatoon to North Battleford when a tire blew. They did a 180 and landed in a ditch. My cousin got out of his vehicle and noticed there was an Eagle sitting...

This past winter term I conducted nine two hour sessions, once a week, with a highly creative, enthusiastic & energetic group of twelve Grade Three to Grade Six youth. Each session we explored materials and/or form: traditional (meaning rooted in the oral ways) storytelling, shadow plays, puppets, masks & fabric, hoop dancing, ribbons, creating a scene and playmaking. For our last session we returned to the source. I invited each to bring a story. It is a sign of the times that the youngest brought her self composed story on an iPod. The most intriguing "story" was scratched on a six inch diameter round clay circle wrapped in tinfoil displaying the story through pictograph. She called it a badge . (The shape was similiar to the picture though her scratching was not a natural representation. This was an art/social studies school project. Kudos to her teacher!) I was reminded of ancient Babylonia and the story of Gilgamish told in cuneiform. It shared the story...

Creative Drama Collective Tale: Opens with the King (Morgan) and Evil Queen (Sonia) fighting, the Evil Queen hands the king a mask. The King takes it and then banishes her from the kingdom and throws the mask after her. End Scene. Next: An old lady (Mary?) is walking along when all of a sudden a monster (Macy) attacks and captures her. While the monsters back is turned the old lady uses her magic to escape and attempts to run away. The monster sees her and a battle of magic begins between the two. The monster pushes the old women to the back of it's lair, when it seems the monster has won the old women grabs her cane and bashes the monster over the head. The monster falls down stunned, the old lady then uses her magic to remove the curse that has fallen on the monster. The monster wakes up and is transformed into a young girl. The old lady beckons the girl to follow her and the two begin their journey to the king by walking on water. Meanwhile: The Evil Queen is bored and is playin...

Opens with the King (Morgan) and Evil Queen (Sonia) fighting, the Evil Queen hands the king a mask. The King takes it and then banishes her from the kingdom and throws the mask after her. End Scene. Next: An old lady (Mary?) is walking along when all of a sudden a monster (Macy) attacks and captures her. While the monsters back is turned the old lady uses her magic to escape and attempts to run away. The monster sees her and a battle of magic begins between the two. The monster pushes the old women to the back of it's lair, when it seems the monster has won the old women grabs her cane and bashes the monster over the head. The monster falls down stunned, the old lady then uses her magic to remove the curse that has fallen on the monster. The monster wakes up and is transformed into a young girl. The old lady beckons the girl to follow her and the two begin their journey to the king by walking on water. Meanwhile: The Evil Queen is bored and is playing with her servant, she tosses t...