1. Story Planning
The setting is modern-day, with all the pollution and climate change, in a small reservation about two hours’ drive north of Winnipeg in the summer, and it is particularly rainy. A 13-year-old girl named Lily, who lives with her Grandma Sylvia, is sitting in the living room on her phone, and her grandma is sitting with her, trying to visit. Suddenly, the power goes out in the house, and the Wi-Fi goes down, leaving Lily bored. It was raining so much that summer, and Lily asked her grandma why, prompting her grandma to say it must be because the creator is mad again. She then tells Lily the story of Turtle Island.
Sylvia then dreams of the great flood and the creation of Turtle Island. She lives through the story herself and wakes up with a newfound respect for the stories her grandma told her when she was growing up, realizing they were lessons. The story ends with her going to her grandma, who is still sitting in the living room. Outside, the storm is calming, and the sun is beginning to peek through the clouds. Lily then joins Grandma on the couch and asks her to tell another one of her stories, but soon after, the power comes back on. Despite the power being back on, Lily is still more interested in hearing grandma’s stories. This makes Grandma happy because she finally has someone to tell her stories to, and the story ends with Grandma wondering where to begin.
My main character is a 13-year-old Ojibwe girl, Lily, who is growing up in the age of cell phones and the internet, leaving her uninterested in her culture’s teachings. Lily’s mother passed away when she was young, leaving only Grandma Sylvia to take care of her. She tends to get bored quickly without her phone and Wi-Fi, but she is also a sweet, intelligent girl who is important to the story because she will carry on her grandma’s teachings. She is sweet because she feels bad about not listening to grandma the first time she told them, and her intelligence is shown when she realizes just how important the stories are. She finds a newfound respect for them because, after having a dream, she realizes that all the stories her grandma told her growing up held important teachings.
My secondary character is Grandma Sylvia: a 71-year-old Ojibwe woman who is the knowledge keeper of her family, and she has been slowly trying to pass on teachings to her granddaughter, who has been uninterested due to the new generation and their ties to their phones. It is important to her to teach her granddaughter because her own daughter passed away, leaving only Lily to carry on the teachings. She continued telling Lily stories, even though Lily didn’t pay attention to them. This shows readers that Grandma Sylvia is a persistent, wise figure who knows she must impart her knowledge to her granddaughter to carry it on, even when her granddaughter doesn’t listen.
The first conflict in my story lies with Lily, who is growing up in modern-day society and is losing touch with her culture and the teachings. Her modern thinking is clashing with the traditional ways of the past. She would rather go on her phone and use Wi-Fi than listen to her grandma’s stories, but when the power goes out, she is left without it, leading her to dream of one of the stories her grandma told her. The dream, or vision, is the turning point and resolution of the story because it helps her see the importance of her grandma’s stories and the importance of respecting the land. The second conflict is the storm that is raging on, a symbol of the damage done to the world and the creator’s anger at people forgetting the sacred teachings. This conflict is resolved when Lily begins to understand her grandmother’s teachings more, causing the storm to calm and the sun to shine through, symbolizing healing and reconnection to the culture, leaving the creator happy.
I would say the main thing I want people to take away from my story is the importance of storytelling in our culture and how we are losing connection to central teachings due to modern technology. Also, I want them to know that they need to respect their elders and listen to the stories they share. Today, not many people will go out of their way to visit their elders. Meanwhile, our elders hold the most knowledge. Another is the importance of respecting the land because of everything that went into creating it. When someone hears my story, I want them to understand that it is important to listen to your elders and to the stories they tell, and to respect them.
A significant symbol in my story is the storm, or the constant rain. It is a symbol of the creator’s anger because, in the story of Turtle Island, the creator was mad at how mankind was treating each other. In my story, the creator is mad that people are forgetting their ways and losing respect for the land and its animals. The rain symbolizes the pollution of the world, which is why it was raining nearly the entire summer. The sun peeking through the clouds is a symbol of healing because Lily is going to begin listening to the stories. She is going to take in the knowledge. This is why the storm settles, because Lily finally understands that the stories are important. This shows readers that the creator is happy that she is trying, but the storm isn’t completely gone; it is just getting better. This is because Lily is just one person, but if we all do what Lily is doing, it can get even better.
The perspective I chose for my story is third person. I decided on this perspective because it allowed me to be more flexible regarding knowing how characters feel. I also chose it because, for me, this perspective is easier than the first. I was able to go from Lily’s feelings to Grandma’s, whereas if I were in first person, I wouldn’t be able to mention how Grandma felt unless I had Lily take note of it.
2. The Story
Grandma’s Stories
In a small reservation just two hours north of Winnipeg, Manitoba, lived a 13-year-old girl named Lily. Lily lived with her grandma Sylvia in a tiny home on the reserve. Lily’s mom passed away when she was just a little girl, and ever since then, Grandma has been taking care of her.
Over the years, as Lily grew up, Grandma always told her stories about the good old days and how things were in the past. Stories of traditions and creation… But Lily wasn’t that interested in them. Instead, she would much rather watch TV or go on her phone than listen to Grandma tell another one of her stories. Despite this, Grandma continued to share them… This all changed on a rainy summer day.
The summer was a boring one, because it was raining almost all the time! And Lily spent most of her time sitting in the living room with grandma, but the thirteen-year-old girl was always glued to her phone, even when the elder tried to visit with her. Suddenly, there was a lightning strike and a loud thunderclap that knocked out the power in the house.
“No! I was in the middle of a game!” Lily exclaimed as she put her phone down, the device no longer working due to the bad cell service and lack of Wi-Fi.
“Hey, that’s enough!” Grandma said before she patted the seat beside her, “Why don’t you come sit with me, and I can tell you a story?”
“No, it’s okay, Grandma…” Lily trailed off as she turned her attention to the window, trying to avoid another one of Grandma’s stories. Grandma just shrugged and sighed to herself.
This storm was a bad one. The wind was strong, and the rain was heavy on their tin roof. Being inside all the time was leaving Lily bored, especially now with no Wi-Fi! It led to Lily letting out a frustrated sigh as she spoke, “Why is it always raining so much? It has been raining almost all summer!”
“Creator must be mad again…” Grandma said as she looked out the window with Lily. Lily’s brows furrowed as she looked at Grandma, “Again? What do you mean again?” Lily asked. Grandma smiled at Lily and patted the seat beside her once again. This time, Lily joined her on the couch.
“Well, do you remember when I told you the story of Turtle Island?” Grandma asked as she looked at Lily.
“No… Sorry…” Lily said as she looked away, feeling shy because she didn’t remember the story, knowing it was probably because she wasn’t listening to Grandma when she told it. Grandma just let out a little laugh and comforted Lily, “It’s okay, my girl, I will tell you again.”
And so, Grandma told Lily the story about Turtle Island, but this time, Lily listened. Lily listened closely to Grandma’s story, and she learned how a long time ago, the Creator got mad at mankind and sent a great flood to purify the earth. Nanaboozhoo was the only survivor, along with a few other animals that managed to swim or fly. Then she told Lily how all the animals took turns trying to dive down deep to grab a piece of the soil, but each time, they failed… Until muskrat made the ultimate sacrifice and gave his life in exchange for the soil…Giving humanity another chance for a new Earth. Grandma then ended her story by telling her that they planted the soil on the turtle’s back and, with his help, they were able to create a new earth.
Before grandma finished her story, she let out a soft sigh and then continued to speak, “That is why we need to respect the land. Not just the land but its creatures too. When we would hunt animals, we would offer tobacco in exchange for their life, a way of honouring their sacrifice. But lately, my girl… People are forgetting our ways. They hunt animals for fun, and they throw garbage all over our reserve, with no regard for the land. That is why I said the creator must be mad.” Grandma finished as she turned back to look at Lily, seeing the girl looking tired, but Lily listened the whole time, “Umbay (hurry up), go sleep. The power will be back on later.” Grandma said as she pointed with her head to the bedroom.
Lily nodded and stood up, “Okay, thanks for the story, Grandma,” she said before she yawned and began making her way to the bedroom, plopping down tiredly on the bed. Lily fell asleep quickly because Grandma’s voice had lulled her to a sleepy state. In her dream, Lily was living the story of Turtle Island for herself! She was there during the great flood, and she saw Nanaboozhoo and the animals working together to create a beautiful, new earth. She watched as they honoured muskrat after his sacrifice, and she watched as the earth began to bloom into what it is today. After seeing all the hard work and all the animals working together, Lily gained a newfound respect for her grandma’s stories because she was finally able to see the teachings they hold. This led Lily to realize that all of Grandma’s stories were not just stories, but they were teachings she was trying to give her, and each time, Lily would just be disinterested in them. This left the teenage girl feeling bad, and when she awoke from her dream, Lily immediately thought of Grandma… And how now, she was ready to begin listening to each one of her stories.
She jumped out of bed and practically ran to her grandma, who was still sitting in the living room, only now she was enjoying a nice cup of tea. Lily entered the living room with excitement evident on her face.
“Grandma!” Lily exclaimed as she joined her grandma.
“Yes, my girl?” Grandma asked as she looked at Lily, noticing the look on her face and raising an inquisitive eyebrow to her granddaughter.
Outside, the storm was calming down, and the sun was beginning to peek through the clouds. Lily looked out the window, saw the beautiful sky, and smiled as she recalled her dream and how the sky looked when it rose on the new earth. “Can you tell me another one of your stories?” The girl asked as she joined her grandma on the couch.
Suddenly, the power turned back on, and Grandma expected Lily to no longer be interested in her stories, but when she saw the young girl remaining rooted to her seat, looking at her with wide, hopeful eyes, the elder’s heart filled with joy because she realized she was finally going to have someone to pass her teachings on to, feeling glad that all her persistence was not for nothing, “Of course, my girl… Now… where do I begin?”
3. Reflection on Sharing and Telling the Story
Writing this story was an enjoyable process for me. I started thinking of storytelling, and it led me to thinking about just how important it is in my culture, as it is the way knowledge has been passed down over the generations. I then started thinking about our creation stories and how they have been passed down orally over the years. In school, I would hear them told at assemblies or through a video on YouTube, and it always changed the way they were received because the process of telling the audience a story, rather than just having them read it, makes it much more meaningful. This then led me to the inspiration behind my story, which was how this generation is more interested in their phones or television than in visiting with an elder and listening to them tell their stories. They find it boring to sit down and visit with someone because they now have constant stimulation from their phones. This led me to develop my story elements.
I knew I wanted my main character to be a young girl whose grandma is raising her because, in my culture and on my reserve, grandparents are the glue of the family. If anything happens to a child’s parents, the grandparents often step in to take care of the child. As for the plot, I knew I wanted it to be about losing touch with our oral storytelling traditions. This is because of the technology these days. I started thinking back to when I was in school and how they would have elders come in and talk to us. This was how oral storytelling always happened in my community. It always happened over a fire or during a community meal, where we just visited with the elders as they shared their stories. They don’t do that anymore because our youth are too distracted by technology and are losing respect for their elders. This is why I chose a setting close to home and in modern day because I will be telling this story to my future students, and if they are able to see themselves in it, they will connect more closely with it. This is also why it is third person, because I want them to put themselves in the place of Lily, and I want them to know how happy it makes their elders if they listen.
Recording myself reading the story was quite the challenge. I went through several takes because I knew I wanted to show a lot of emotion in my expressions and act out the dialogue appropriately. I feel like I did a good job at using my voice to emphasize emotion, and I did a lot of actions, but not too many that they were distracting. The challenging part was how long it took to film, but I enjoyed the process and feel like it will benefit me as a future educator. Since I am going to tell this story again, I would like to have it printed off so I can hold it in front of me and put it down to engage more with the audience. I also might change the way I act out dialogue to match the students I am reading to, for example, younger students might enjoy a more dramatic reading.
The cultural significance this holds for me is that I drew inspiration from the story of Turtle Island while also honouring it in my story. This creation story is central to my heritage because I am Ojibwe, and this is one of our creation stories. This story comes in several variations, but the one I always heard included a great flood and a muskrat giving his life in exchange for the soil. It also reflects my values of respecting the land and its creatures, which are some of our central teachings. When someone listens to my story, I want them to think about their own relationship with the land and if they listen to their elders when they share stories.
In conclusion, I enjoyed this assignment because getting to read out a story that I wrote and that others will see was a new and exciting experience. It was also quite intimidating, and it made me think of the elders in my community who would share their own stories in front of a crowd, and how I only read to myself and the camera and still had a hard time. I now have a lot of respect for those who share their stories orally during community gatherings or school assemblies, because that takes a lot of courage.
Instructor's Remarks
Kelsey Anderson’s submission for her “Grandma’s Stories: Honouring Oral Traditions” is an impressive work that showcases the process of planning, creating, and sharing stories within oral traditions using modern technology. It reflects a deep cultural understanding and a genuine commitment to honouring Ojibwe storytelling traditions. The narrative of “Grandma’s Stories” succeeds on multiple levels: as a compelling story, as a pedagogical tool, and as a reflection on the vital importance of transmitting oral knowledge.Kelsey’s use of symbolism is thoughtful and well-integrated. The storm represents the Creator’s anger, while the sun breaking through symbolizes healing and reconnection. These elements work effectively because they arise naturally from the narrative rather than feeling forced.
Kelsey’s choice to set this story in modern, relatable locations allows future students to see themselves within it, indicating sound pedagogical thinking. This story will undoubtedly resonate with students who are navigating similar tensions between technology and traditional ways of being. (Dr. Ying Kong)