Story Planning
My story is an original fictional tale about a mom and daughter, Sally, who regularly visits Kookoo, Sally’s grandmother, on the reservation. This weekly routine is necessary due to the mother’s job and the lack of weekend childcare. The three of them share a deep bond and enjoy spending time together.
A central theme in the story is the significance of the sunset, portrayed as a gift from the Creator to help heal their hearts in times of loneliness. This spiritual connection allows people to feel healing and energy from Grandfather Sun. Additionally, Sally’s innocent nickname for the sunset colours brings joy to the story; the innocent point of view was absent in Indigenous peoples’ lives for a generation due to residential schools, and the process of healing from these traumas is still ongoing.
The three main characters are: Mom who is always serious and has faced many hardships in her life, leading to constant worry for her ability to take care of Sally on her own; Sally who is full of life and spunk, demonstrating that her mother has broken the intergenerational trauma, and Kookoo who is loving, patient, kind, giving her daughter and granddaughter all her love. Additionally, I introduce three foil characters: Mom’s husband, cousin Mahanadi and her boyfriend.
This story takes place in modern times, starting at Mom and Sally’s house and concluding at Kookoo’s house on the reservation. It addresses issues such as housing shortages and the legacy of residential schools, creating a familiar picture for many Indigenous people in Canada. This story is a story of overcomers; these three females exemplify the future of cultural genocide survivors and the agents of breaking intergenerational trauma.
“Kookoo’s Cotton Candy Sky”
Sally slowly opened her eyes and quickly sat up when she realized it was Friday! She jumped out of bed and began packing her weekend bag because it was time to visit Kookoo!Sally absolutely loved visiting her Kookoo. The only reason she willingly returned home on Sundays was that she began to miss her mom, her warm bed and most of all, her mom’s endless hugs.
Once she finished packing her bag, Sally ran to her mom’s room, where her mom was still
in bed. She jumped onto her bed and exclaimed, “Mom! It’s Friday! Let’s go visit Kookoo!”
Sally’s mom laughed, “Howah, okay, let me open my eyes first.” She got up and got ready to drive to the reservation where Kookoo lived.
During their long drive to the reservation, Mom often talked about her life on the rez, describing it as a magical place filled with freedom to explore and plenty of fun.
Sally asked her mom, “Why don’t we live on the rez?”
Mom replied, “Because there aren’t enough houses for everyone, and Kookoo’s house is too small.”
Sally responded, “Yeah, and you have way too much junk! it would fill up Kookoo’s house and make it burst!”
Mom laughed and said, “You’re probably right; I do have too much junk.”
When they arrived at Kookoo’s house, Sally opened the car door and ran to the porch,
where Kookoo was waiting with open arms for her only granddaughter. During their embrace, Kookoo said, “Oh my sweet, sweet granddaughter, I’ve waited all week for this moment.”
Sally’s huge smile was a confirmation that the feeling was mutual. She said, “Me too! I asked Mom why we couldn’t live with you, and she said you had a small house. I told her she just had too much junk and could probably open her own Goodwill store!”
Kookoo threw her head back and laughed loudly; she only laughed that way when something genuinely amused her. Her laugh could be heard from far away.
As Mom retrieved Sally’s bag from the trunk of the car, she watched the beautiful reunion unfold. She felt so thankful for the bond between the two, because she herself had never experienced a relationship like that. Her own Kookoo had passed away before she was born; all she knew about her was that she had attended a residential school when she was a small girl; nobody ever talked about her experience while she was there. Mom was grateful that Sally would never know the emptiness of not having a grandparent, which would feel like the hugs, stories, and laughter she had never experienced. The only item Mom treasured from her Kookoo was a black-and-white picture of her taken while she was at residential school; in the photo, she looked just like Sally but without her huge smile and sparkling eyes. It was as if the life had been drained from them.
Mom walked up to the house to join Kookoo and Sally, who were already in the kitchen contemplating whether to make fried Bannock or baked Bannock.
Mom said, “Why not just make both, you know you are going to”.
Kookoo and Sally looked at each other and giggled as they pulled out two bowls and began making both types of Bannock. While they worked on that, Mom prepared a deer stew and a pot of hot tea to go with the Bannock. She also loved their visits but had to work the next day so that she could drive home after supper. As the three of them worked in the kitchen simultaneously, Kookoo and Sally hummed a traditional healing song together.
After enjoying their tasty supper together, Mom hugged and kissed Kookoo and Sally, saying, “You two, don’t get into too much trouble”.
They looked at each other and giggled, replying in unison, “We won’t”.
As Mom drove home, she turned on the radio and turned it to NCI FM, just in time to
listen to Friends on Friday. She heard her cousin Maanadith asking her boyfriend for the song
“Neon Moon,” and Mom thought to herself that they must be fighting again. Even though they broke up and reconciled every other week, they still made a cute couple. The song made Mom’s heart ache as she headed home to an empty house, reminding her of her husband, who had passed away two years earlier. Although the grief was still fresh, thoughts of him no longer brought her to her knees, a sign of healing.
Looking out at the sunset, she was blessed with a breathtaking display of colours that reached as far as the eye could see. It was beautiful; the colours were what Sally had nicknamed the “cotton candy sky”. Mom also realized that when her heart hurt the most, the sky was the most beautiful. She silently thanked Creator for the spectacular display of colours.
At Kookoo’s house, Sally and Kookoo were cuddled together under fuzzy blankets on the porch, also watching the sunset.
Sally said, “I like it when the sky is the colour of cotton candy”.
Kookoo giggled and replied, “I never heard that description before. I like it! My mom told me that when I was a girl your size, she said that when you feel the loneliest, the Creator will send a beautiful sunset to bless you. It’s a reminder that your loved ones who have passed on are looking in on you and giving you a glimpse of the beauty of where they are now”.
They sat in silence, watching the sunset until it faded away.
Sally said, “From now on, I’m going to call it Kookoo’s cotton candy sky. Whenever I feel
lonely for you, I’ll watch one to feel better”.
Kookoo’s eyes shimmered with tears as she thought of her mother, her ancestors, and all those who had passed on. She pulled Sally closer and softly whispered, “Kookoo’s cotton candy sky. It’s perfect”.
Reflection on Oral Storytelling
The story I have written centers around a family consisting of three female characters: Kookoo, Mom and Sally, narrated from a third-person perspective. They are surviving family members of a family that suffered significant losses due to the unfair circumstances faced by many Indigenous people, particularly intergenerational trauma. Despite living apart, the three have travelled a long road of healing and sustain a very close relationship, remaining positive despite their circumstances.
The setting for this story is in modern times. It begins at Mom and Sally’s house in the city, but primarily takes place on the reservation at Kookoo’s in her small house, which is a happy place for all three of them. I also introduced a few foil characters: Mom’s husband, cousin Maanadith and her boyfriend. The combination of the three main characters reflects my own family; as many Indigenous families, including mine, have felt the impact of intergenerational trauma, often resulting in substance abuse, violence and suicide. The situation is compounded by the lack of housing, infrastructure, and employment opportunities on reservations, which forces families to live far apart from one another.
Telling this story orally was a different experience from submitting it in writing; it was definitely out of my comfort zone, and I had to redo it six times! I faced insecurities, such as feeling like I had to start over because I mispronounced a word or found myself fidgeting. Maintaining a smooth tone throughout the story was also a challenge; I often found myself trying to speed up and had to start over again. However, I think telling it aloud brought the characters to life, allowing me to immerse my audience in the setting and convey their voices.
Unfortunately, I haven’t had many storytelling experiences, but the few I have had were always about the past. To change things up, I used a combination of past and present narratives. I enjoyed telling this story because it allowed me to give my characters voices and emotion while emphasizing specific areas that I wanted to highlight. One particular challenge I faced was trying not to laugh while describing Mom’s cousin Maanadith and her song request. It is a common joke amongst Indigenous people to play the song “Neon Moon” when feeling lonely.
My story exemplifies the breaking of intergenerational effects left behind by residential schools. It is a story of heartbreak, healing, love and laughter, showcasing three powerful females who don’t realize how much they have accomplished for generations before them and those yet to come. Indigenous people are known for infusing humour into stories, and I have done the same in my narrative; adding humour into sensitive situations is a way of overcoming the trauma involved and looking past. A good laugh can be healing in any situation. Ultimately, this story reflects true resilience and illustrates what happens when individuals recognize that they are victims of intergenerational curses and choose to rise above them.
