Sweetgrass First Nation artist Darwin Atcheynum will visit North Battleford Public Library to give a presentation to students during Aboriginal Storytelling Month. (Submitted photo/Kimberly Atcheynum)

By Angela Brown

Annual tradition

Aboriginal Storytelling Month an opportunity to share culture

Feb 1, 2022 | 2:41 PM

February is Aboriginal Storytelling Month in Saskatchewan, and events are being planned in North Battleford and Meadow Lake to celebrate the annual tradition. A total of 72 Indigenous storytellers from across the province will take part in activities, offered through support from Library Services for Saskatchewan Aboriginal Peoples.

Sweetgrass First Nation artist Darwin Atcheynum plans to visit North Battleford Public Library Feb. 9 and 10 to share some tales reflecting on Indigenous history and culture. He will bring some of his various art pieces including his stone carvings to show the youth as well.

He has a home-based business called Atcheynum Native Arts, where he creates his artwork that has travelled throughout Canada and the world, even to Australia and New Zealand.

Atcheynum said each of his pieces has a story too that’s inspired by tradition and legends. The creator enjoys sharing the oral tradition with others, including stories of mythology from First Nation culture.

“Some days I talk about the history of the buffalo and how they helped the people,” he said.

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Atcheynum may also share the story of Grandfather Rock, a legend about how rocks are actually grandfathers.

“Sometimes I’ll talk about the little people here,” he said. “There are leprechauns and dwarfs. They have them in every culture. That was kind of a familiar topic; a lot of kids like that.”

Judy Bear, a coordinator in post-secondary, trades and training at Flying Dust First Nation, said having a month to share aboriginal storytelling is a good way to bridge the gap between cultures.

“It’s definitely really important,” she said. “It’s important because [the storytellers] are bringing a lot of knowledge and history from the past. They provide a cultural perspective to it, that’s what makes it good.”

Colin Evans, Public Services Manager with Lakeland Library Region, is glad to see there will be programming at many local libraries during Aboriginal Storytelling Month.

“We reside on treaty land, and I think it’s really good to build these partnerships and build a better understanding,” he said. “What greater time to start doing that than when [they] are kids, to learn the importance of Indigenous people in the surrounding area, and the important historical relationship that we have.”

Library Services for Saskatchewan Aboriginal Peoples (LSSAP) will be offering many Zoom events on Indigenous culture during the month as well. The link to the site is here.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow