By Alex Soloducha

Métis author wants to pass on traditional stories to youth

Feb 13, 2014 | 11:47 AM

paNOW Staff

For Métis author Leah Dorion, storytelling is an absolutely critical part of her culture and her life.

She hopes to pass on stories of Métis past to youth so that they aren’t lost.

“Storytelling is the heart and soul of the people. It’s where your values, your beliefs, your perspectives are transmitted and it’s the beautiful gift of imagination, and drama, and connection that just makes the culture go forward,” said Dorion.

Ever since her son Louis was young, she told him stories every day. Eventually, he suggested she write a children’s book for other children to enjoy.

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“Basically my work is to share positive, accurate information about Métis history and culture to a young school age audience, that’s my goal,” said Dorion, “I’ve written in many different forms but the most recent form where I feel that I have a lot of ability to share Métis culture in a really neat way is through children’s literature.”

On Wednesday, at the First Nation’s University campus in Prince Albert, she spoke about her three published books. The first was The Giving Tree, published in 2009.

The story was one she originally heard from a Métis elder and new it was the first one she wanted to tell.

The Giving Tree, as well as her two other stories Relatives With Roots and The Diamond Willow Walking Stick were published in English and translated to the traditional Métis language Michif, with a free audio CD in the language.

“I do mainly writing for children’s literature and then I also illustrate the works that I do. So that’s always nice to thread the two types of storytelling, visual storytelling and written storytelling,” she said.

Dorion is very pleased that her books have showed up at schools in the city and thinks it’s important that First Nations culture is more prominent in the curriculum, considering the demographics in the area.

“Many teachers are trying to get aboriginal knowledge in the curriculum and in their teaching and they just don’t have the resources to do it, there’s a real gap. So, I think my work and my writing and what I do is making a contribution,” said Dorion.

She is thrilled that she is able to help provide traditional knowledge to these children. “I know most of my work is used by teachers. It’s utilized by different people in the community but my primary audience is kids in the schools.”

Dorion’s book, the Diamond Willow Walking Stick won a Saskatchewan Book Award last year.

According to Dorion, she will never stop writing children’s books. She also has much to look forward to, as her pride and joy, The Giving Tree, has been turned in to a play script and will be performed by SUNTEP students and toured around Prince Albert elementary schools. She also hopes to one day write literature for older age groups.

Dorion highly encourages to write their memories, and to share them with their children.

Aboriginal author Ernie Louttit will be speaking at FNUC on Feb. 25 at noon as part of the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling Project in the province.

For more about Leah Dorion, visit her website here. 

news@panow.com

On Twitter: @alex_soloducha