Storytelling, whether it be fictional or not, is a timeless method of knowledge-sharing that unanimously disrupts the cultures, countries and sociopolitical differences that have served as societal borders. The act of storytelling is not restricted to prose and poetry and has served as a vehicle for visual art throughout history.
In a time of uncertainty on the geopolitical landscape, Knowledge Makers, an on-campus Indigenous-led research network has engineered events that allow students of all walks of life to relax, congregate and to share their experiences irrespective of background. For the organization, the intention is to create an inclusive environment where students can explore the art of oral storytelling. The Omega got a preview of upcoming opportunities and events from Shay Paul and Jeneen Herns-Jenson from the All My Relations centre.
ODΩ: What is the key takeaway for events like Story in a Circle?
JHJ: So, the goal of hosting events like this is to bring people together, and to recognize our common goals and our common threads between cultures. We were hoping that by sitting down and having discussions over stories that we grew up with, that helped shape who we are, that we can recognize some of those same symbolic elements. We can recognize how story is used as a way to transmit knowledge and has been a way to transmit knowledge throughout generations that date back millenia. Story can be a good guide in current times to help us live a better life and to give us some moral guidance in the conflicts that are happening right now.
SP: The goal that was kind of held with the sharing circle and the storytelling was to connect people with one another, to find relationality, especially in a climate and an environment where students often feel disconnected from one another or disconnected from their homes. So many people travel and find themselves at TRU, whether that’s from across the region, province, country or from another country entirely. So many people have lost that connection to something that they hold so dear, so the hope was that by having the sharing circle that we might find pieces of home in one another.
ODΩ: How does Indigenous culture honour these cultural differences in the setting of a sharing circle?
JHJ: [The event] was created as a really good way to help individuals who have come to Kamloops from other regions of the world recognize that the Indigenous culture, traditions and stories that are shared here are so close to what they experience from home. There are so many commonalities and shared ethical values of community, safety and communal living, as well as respect and reverence for the Earth.
SP: And I think that for international students, it might be a little bit nerve-wracking to come into an Indigenous space and to come and participate in events, not knowing if they belong in this space or not knowing how to interact or engage. And this space was created to showcase that we have so much more in common than we have differences.
ODΩ: Are there more opportunities for students to participate in events such as Story in a Circle?
JHJ: Just come bring any piece of art, whether it be written or oral. In the future, I think we’re going to collaborate more with other departments that are already hosting similar events, because again, I think it can be a little intimidating coming into this space if you don’t know if you belong. I think that prioritizing arts and our human connection to one another, and that creativity is really important in this time … that is something that we need to lean back into because that will ground us and help us get through it.
ODΩ: How about upcoming opportunities to get involved with Knowledge Makers?
JHJ: So, volume 11 of the Knowledge Makers Journal has its call for applications open now, and we actually have a thematic issue that ties into storytelling specifically. So the theme and the focus is: utilizing our past and learning from our past to bring lessons into our future, to make a better future. So, we are gonna start our workshop with a traditional story that talks about this, because Indigenous peoples globally have experienced a multitude of environmental disasters, personal disasters, colonialism and yet we continue to exist and thrive – because we are taught how to do so.
SP: I think that there are a lot of lessons from the past and from our oral traditions and stories that can help us prepare for this climate that we’re in.
JHJ: So, we are accepting applications for [the journal], and we would love people to participate. It comes with a $1,000 bursary, academic mentorship and a whole lesson on how to become a researcher. You don’t have to have any prior knowledge whatsoever.
Knowledge Makers, located at the All My Relations Research Centre in the OLARA building, will be holding a two-day workshop for aspiring researchers on Feb. 21 and 22 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. No experience or prerequisites are needed.