Today South Dakota celebrates Native American Day, as it has since 1990. Communities across the state commemorate this day in different ways, including with storytelling.
I was privileged recently to hear and see Lakota Kevin Locke , who told stories orally, with his flute,
and with his hoop dancing. In each case, he talked about all people being one and challenged each of us to be a bridge of understanding from one person to another. With 28 hoops, he created an eagle, a globe, a flower, a ladder, and a whirl of color!
He demonstrated his message of the importance of each individual by removing a hoop from one of his formations. The formation collapsed.
This kind of storytelling--hoop dancing--takes a lot of energy! Kevin does it with such joy and grace, it is a pleasure to watch. See him in this performance from last year:
What other kinds of storytelling have you experienced? Which ones are most meaningful to you?
(photos copyright 2014, Jane Heitman Healy)
