Every other Sunday, around Noon SLT (Second Life Time) I conduct an event at my Native American role play sims, BL Borderlands. It is the highlight of my existence inworld. Being part Choctaw Indian in real life it means the world to me to carry on the tradition of “Story Telling”. For Native Americans, the telling of stories passed down from generation to generation remained their primary form of wisdom communication even after the written word had spread across the globe. Native American oral storytelling traditions allowed tribes to transmit their mythological, spiritual and historical understandings of themselves and the worlds they inhabited to their children and their children’s children. This all but guaranteed that members of each individual nation would never forget their roots or lose sight of important knowledge that would allow them to continue to exist in harmony and cooperation with the natural world.

In order to make this critical information memorable, Native Americans translated practical prescriptions along with subtle and sophisticated ideas about the Great Mystery of life and existence into allegories filled with heroes and villains, comedic twists and dramatic encounters and lessons learned the hard way through suffering and eventual transcendence.

I research online and find different subjects to discuss and then find different stories that go with the subject to tell the tribal members and friends of the tribe that attend. I do not just tell of one tribe’s myth or legend but include all tribes (there are over 550 Indigenous Nations currently in the United States) that seem pertinent to my chosen subject. It’s amazing to me how many stories are similar coming from the different tribes but also so very different. One thing they all have in common is they leave you with a moral lesson to ponder for days on end.

Through storytelling, Native American tribes shared, preserved, and paid tribute to their early beginnings, so future generations could continue their legacy. With so many viewpoints and creative ideals from the varied tribes, the unique facets of these people are shared and explored by listening to their stories. By exploring these stories, we are able to glimpse into the past, while carrying the ideals, thoughts and beliefs of a nation into the future.

May your life be like a wildflower, growing freely in the beauty and joy of each day. Step in Sunbeams!