Oral Storytelling Traditions

By Janna Sullivan As part of their Units of Inquiry, the Kindergarten and Grade 1 classes had the pleasure of welcoming local author Lucky Budd for a visit on Wednesday morning. With a backdrop of artwork by Roy Henry Vickers, Mr. Budd captivated his audience with the story of Cloudwalker. Continuing a tradition that was started thousands of years ago, Mr. Budd brought this story to life for a new generation through oral storytelling. Our young inquirers listened intently to Mr. Budd’s expressive voice as he explained how Cloudwalker helped to form three important rivers in British Columbia. They carefully echoed him as he named these rivers: Nass, Stikine, and Skeena. Thank you to Mr. Budd for sharing this story and highlighting the importance of oral storytelling as a way to preserve culture, ideas, and ways of knowing. This visit has inspired a new group of oral storytellers that are keen to create and share their very own stories! In addition, the Kindergarten and Grade 1 classes would like to thank Mrs. McLeod for helping to organize this visit.