Indigenous oral tradition and knowledge series part of WOTS festival

Oki everyone!

Lethbridge Public Library is offering an Indigenous speaker series on oral history and teachings passed from generation to generation. This series, the Indigenous Oral Tradition and Knowledge Series, will be happening as part of The Word On The Street and Reconciliation Week, September 20 – 25. Sessions will be hosted online via Zoom.

Sept. 20, 2 p.m.: Blackfoot Language Syllabics – Starting off the series is Sheldon First Rider from Kainai First Nation. Currently working with Glenbow Museum in Calgary, Sheldon will explain the Blackfoot syllabic writing system, which captures the sound of the language in a more efficient manner than the English phonetic system. Blackfoot language is currently considered endangered. Sheldon’s work on this system is an opportunity for anyone wanting to learn and speak fluently.

Sept. 21, 2 p.m.: Blackfoot Language in Sport – Mary Ellen Little Mustache, from Piikani First Nation is also a strong advocate for retaining, relearning, and promoting her first language of Blackfoot. She offers workshops and programs for the traditional games and explains both the history, the use of natural materials, and meaning of the Blackfoot terminology for these games. Much of her knowledge comes from her parents, colleagues and elders she has known throughout her life.

Sept. 22, 2 p.m.: Healing Through Ceremony – As an educator, Evelyn Goodstriker, from the Sioux First Nation, knows how important ceremony is in our lives. The loss of many of our people to COVID-19, disease, drug use, accidents, and natural causes has taken a toll on many. Evelyn offers her perspective on how ceremonies from our Indigenous way of life can nurture our own healing process. Evelyn’s insights are not just theory, but from her own experience in being a participant who “walks her talk.”

Sept. 23, 6 p.m.: Overcoming Addiction – Addictions has been one of most challenging and lifealtering dilemmas since whiskey trading made its way onto our lands. Bryan Smith, also from Piikani First Nation, will discuss his journey to sobriety. By sharing his story he hopes others can see a way out of that path. He is not one to “tell you what to do,” but by explaining through his eyes, ears, and experience he will let you decide and see supports that could help.

Sept. 24, 6 p.m.: Creating Faceless Dolls – Emily Fox is an educator and seamstress, and is offering this session in making faceless dolls. These dolls were made for children, who often had their own child-sized Nitoyis (tipi). They have now come to represent the thousands of murdered and missing indigenous women and men. With the recent and horrific discovery of the mass graves of children buried under boarding schools, Emily’s dolls take on another symbolic roll. Join us for a demonstration on how to make these dolls and learn about her kits for creating these dolls.

Sept. 25, 11 a.m.: Join us with your children to hear from Charlene and Wilson Bearhead, from the Cree Nation. As a husbandwife team, they have collaborated on creating children’s stories from their Cree heritage and knowledge. These stories are a great way to share daily moments or be read to a classroom. This will be an exciting way to conclude our Indigenous Oral Tradition and Knowledge Series as their stories began as storytelling, which is how much Indigenous knowledge was and is passed on.

Join Lethbridge Public Library online via Zoom as we host these amazing speakers, and others, for The Word On The Street 2021. You can register for individual sessions by visiting thewordonthestreet.ca/Lethbridge.