Learning Story – What makes a good story?
The Week of Nov 24, 2023
What Happened?
Karen Wright Fraser was invited to join us for the morning to share some stories. She shared personal stories such as the day she was given her name Wind Woman, and she shared stories that had been passed on to her by Elders in different parts of the territories and country. We then moved into one of the tents to warm up and give the Bushkids some opportunities to tell stories and also learn how to finger weave. There were some silly stories and some stories about the Land and sacred places such as The Old Lady of the Falls on the Lockhart River near Fort Reliance.
After Karen left, the storytelling continued in many different forms. Some continued to finger weave and tell stories calmly in the tent, others decided to act out silly stories, a whole group of children engaged in some very imaginative play and enacted a story at a restaurant, others went off and played quietly telling stories in their mind or to a friend. Two of the older Bushkids and an educator discussed world events and tried to discern the truth of the stories being told in the news. How do we think critically about stories in the media while doing so respectfully?
Why is it Important?
Last week, we delved into why stories are important, and we felt that we needed to continue the inquiry this week. As we closed the day in a circle, we asked: what makes a good story? We heard “if it is funny”, “you learn something from the story”, “The facial expressions and body language of the storyteller”, “we got closer and closer to listen to the storyteller”. As we engage in storytelling or listening to stories, we get to know each other and hopefully understand each other better. The act of sharing builds community, whether it is sharing food, ideas or stories, we come together and are stronger because of it.
What Does This Mean For Next Time?
We will continue to share our stories, and find more opportunities to invite people in to tell their stories or those that they have been told or written. We will continue to discuss what makes a good story and how to tell it in a way that will hold your audience’s attention.
The Bushkids have or are making their own journals, so that they can begin to document their ideas in pictures or words. We also hope to have a device at some point, so that the Bushkids can record their own stories. The Land at the Bushkids site holds many of their own stories now. We can explore all of the skills the Land teaches us each Friday.