Listen to the storytellers, and share your own

I was honoured with the opportunity to attend another writing-related event in Winnipeg a couple of weekends ago. It was an event orchestrated by Renate Eigenbrod and Cheryl Suggashie, and included youth participants who are 3rd and 4th generation residential school survivors.
Members from the Aboriginal Writers Collective hosted workshops for the youth, and I am happy to say that they remembered who I was from the Manitoba Indigenous Writer’s Festival I had attended in the fall. I am hoping that as a writer, our paths will only continue to cross as the days go by.
It was very inspiring to see the youth participate in the workshops. Most of them had not been involved in any sort of creative writing so it was nice to see them open up and produce written work. It was also amazing to hear the different but similar stories of how everyone’s life was affected by residential school in one way or another. I think it is great that the youth were aware of what was lost, and are trying to reclaim the culture and their stories.
Introductions would take place anytime the group met anyone new. By the end of the event, I think that each of the participants had introduced themselves and explained why they were there at least 10 times, which was starting to become a reason for laughter each time.
I enjoyed being around so much creativity and it really inspired me to continue on with writing. I was given an opportunity to read out loud or say a few words at the concluding event that evening, but I passed because I did not have anything of mine to read and wasn’t sure what I would say. Right now I feel I should have just borrowed an iPhone and at least recited a column I wrote from Wawatay News Online, or even accessed the short story I wrote last year from its website.
I am happy that the youth enjoyed their time and found their inner voices as Aboriginal storytellers. After speaking with them about their experience, I feel that they came away from the event with a new view of the world of Aboriginal literature.
As the youth editor of SEVEN, I only want to continue to encourage artistic expression of any kind on any type of medium. We Anishinabe people have a lot to be proud of, and we have our own stories to tell. I know that sometimes it is hard to be Anishinabe, especially with the ill-treatment our people are subjected to now and then and it can take a toll on one’s self-esteem. It is easier to remain silent and not speak a word about your problems, but it is not the right thing to do. It is important to continue to share and tell stories, to let it all out so to speak and to continue learning. Listen to storytellers, read their words, write your own even if nobody reads them. Writing is very therapeutic.
Perhaps one day, I will help organize a writing workshop here in Thunder Bay for Anishinabe youth. I will have to make that one of my goals as a writer and as a supporter of Anishinabe youth and creativity. I hope it would have the same eye-opening effect the workshop in Winnipeg had on the Anishinabe youth who attended it.
We all have our stories to tell; some just need a little direction and help with how to get them out from the inside.