Meetings, Databases, and Publicity, Oimoi!

Greetings from NISA! Been quite the productive week, advertising the festival and mentorship program to the four corners of the Pacific Northwest. I've contacted the storytellers guilds of the region and they're each putting our festival in their newsletter and forwarding the information to their boards of directors.

Next step is contacting the equivalent of a cultural office for each tribe in Washington to spread the word as far as possible. We have one master storyteller who has submitted their application, and four who have confirmed their interest in the program. So we're about half way there!

Paddle to Swinomish

The week of July 25-30 was spent at Canoe Journey for the Paddle to Swinomish. People from Alaska to Mexico, Australia to Maryland came out to join in the amazing time of cultural sharing and revitalization known as Canoe Journey. I arrived just as the canoes were pulling onto shore in droves in the pouring rain, coming into the inlet in groups of three to five and waiting to be invited into Swinomish before being assisted by the community up the sandy hill. Nights were spent sharing stories at a freshly created firepit at the NW Indian College along with the California Indian Storytellers Association.

The experience was truly awe-inspiring. So many people from all over coming together in the right way to share of each others company, culture, and hospitality. I learned a great deal about myself just from listening to the stories that the elders shared, and met many amazing people. Next year's journey is headed to Squaxin Island just outside my hometown, and I am definitely going to make sure I can make it out there as well!