STORYTELLING & ANIMALS

ByMerlin CCC
Philosophy Shorts

On the Enlightening & Enchanting Roles of Animals in our Lives & Collective Histories

with guest storytellers Louise Fischer & Shane Doyle

Access resources below

what we explored

A storytelling event for youth that featured heartwarming tales starring animals such as coyote, raven, wolf, and more. Weaving story, song, dance, and community together, our storytellers — Louise Fischer & Shane Doyle — invited youth to imagine, wonder, question, and play, and learn more about indigenous perspectives on the enlightening & enchanting role of animals in our lives and collective history. Kids and adults alike came dressed as their favorite critter to add to the fun!

Thank you to our guest storytellers, Louise Fischer & Shane Doyle, for all of your hard work preparing for our event and the fun you brought with you! Thank you to all the kids & adults who came out in full animal form and enoyed the day with us!

Welcome: On the Power of Story

Play

Audio recordings (of stories shared by Our guest storytellers)

We will be adding audio soon! Stay tuned….

About Our Guest Storytellers

Louise Fischer (Anishinaabe Elder, Storyteller, Speaker, Artist and Cultural Consultant) is a member of the Midewiwin Society and her clan is the Eagle. Her home away from home is in York, MT where her home and studio are located. Louise lives there with her husband, Chuck, whom she has been married to for over 40 years, alongside her big dog and bird.

Louise graduated in fine arts at Kingman, AZ college and has had shows in most all of the midwest states, including the Museum of the Plains Indians in Browning, MT. Devil’s Elbow State Campground currently features some of her art plaques, as well as other locations. In addition to her art, Louise has led a sweat lodge for the staff and PTSD Veterans for over 13 years at Fort Harrison and other VA facilities and worked with suicidal youth at Shodair Children’s Hospital for over 10 years. She has also been a speaker for Humanities Montana for over 20 years. Rich with meaning and depth, Louise’s storytelling reveals a tapestry of Native American history, traditions, art, music and more.

Shane Doyle (Independent Educational & Cultural Consultant, Native Nexus Consulting) is a Crow tribal member who grew up in Crow Agency, and currently resides in Bozeman, MT.  A singer of Northern Plains tribal style of music for 30 years, Shane also holds a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction, and completed a post-doctoral appointment in genetics with the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2016.  

With 20 years of teaching experience, Shane is a full-time educational and cultural consultant, designing American Indian curriculum for many organizations, including Montana public schools, the National Park Service, and the Museum of the Rockies.  He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Bozeman-based Extreme History Project, Hopa Mountain, and the Archaeological Conservancy, as well as serving on the Montana Arts Council culture and aesthetics committee and the Governors Parks in Focus Committee.  Shane was a founding member of the Montana Wilderness Association’s Hold Our Ground Campaign in 2017, and speaks throughout the region on the topics of northern Plains Tribal culture and the importance of public lands in Montana.  He was instrumental in the repatriation of the Anzick Clovis Child, and worked as a consultant and actor for the History Channel’s “Lost Treasure of the Little Bighorn Battle.”

Photos

Community Partners, Sponsors & Thank You’s

Thank you to our community partners Helena Indian Alliance (your award helped us provide an abundance of snacks to our event goers!) and Doubletree by Hilton Helena Downtown, and to our program sponsors Helena BID and program sponsor & co-host, Lewis & Clark Library for your support! This event was part of an NEH Big Reads grant received by the library. We are honored that they asked us to be part of their programming for the Helena community!

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