Winter Storytelling teaches lessons to youth from past
Tribal elder Fred Auck tells stories in Shoshone at LCPD's Winter Storytelling on January 25.
By ROSELYNN YAZZIE
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — Stories and food were shared at the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Language & Culture Preservation Department Winter Storytelling on Thursday, January 25. The event was well attended after being cancelled twice because of weather and illness.
Bailey Dann, Original Territories & Historical Researcher, opened the evening by explaining winter time is good to tell stories.
She told the audience it was important for them to listen well because in the stories there are lessons.
“Sometimes our stories are silly. Sometimes our stories are really serious and serious things happen, but ultimately our storytellers – they carry these blessings from the past. They tell us about what happened in the past and who we were in the past. They tell about when animals spoke,” she said. “It’s good that we still have those stories here today and into the future.”
Velda Racehorse speaks.
Dann told youth attending to pay attention because one day they will be the elders who will be sharing the stories and teachings from their life.
As the crowd settled in to hear from storytellers, including elders Fred Auck and Velda Racehorse and Fort Hall Business Council Chairman Lee Juan Tyler, they were welcomed to eat buffalo roast sandwiches, chips and cookies. Auck offered the prayer for the food.
Auck told his stories in Shoshone. For the non-speakers in the room, Racehorse and Tyler later translated for him.
Auck spoke in Shoshone because he explained when the stories are told in the language there are no lies in it. They are also never ending.
He started by introducing himself. He talked about how life came about and things he was told growing up, like how long ago there were people who talked to the weather. He shared his experiences hunting and fishing and talked about the things he saw along the way.
Audience at Winter Storytelling.
Racehorse said Fred was a good listener and he was fortunate to be told all those things from the old people. She said he has a good memory.
Tyler’s stories were about where he came from, mentioning his family and where he grew up. He shared a couple stories about animals, which were used for teaching and about ceremony.
At the end of the session Dann thanked everyone for taking the time to come over and listen.
