Continuing our oral traditions
Building a sustainable future by remembering the past

Boozhoo John,

“If you want your children to be intelligent, tell them stories. If you want them to be really intelligent, tell them more stories.”

While that quote is inspired by Albert Einstein’s ideas about fairy tales, Native people have long understood and respected the value of stories – both sacred and secular. Oral tradition or storytelling is the fundamental lifeblood of all Native cultures and is often reserved as a winter activity, especially for Wisconsin tribes.

The first frost
Once the ground endures a hard frost, the storytelling begins. Recounting our paths of migration, tribal histories, family reminiscences, veteran stories, stories that recall human dilemmas, hero adventures, and trickster predicaments are told, not only to entertain but to educate.

The value of stories
Stories are so much more than entertainment to our people. They store and transmit traditional ecological knowledge; they clarify shared values and demystify expected social protocol; they record history and preserve our ceremonial legacy; they can help us anticipate celestial events when talking about the stars; and they give names to ourselves and all living things.

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We are fortunate to live in a place that is rich with story, history, and folk legend. The story of Wisconsin is the story of who we are, what is ours, and how we belong to this land, to these waterways, to this creation story.

Through storytelling, we are able to protect this place we call home. Both in our personal circles, but also as an organization, we seek to continue these oral traditions and build a sustainable future by remembering the past.

Join us as we work towards a future our children can thrive in by giving a tax-deductible gift by the end of the day tomorrow, Dec. 31 [[link removed]]. Your donations and continued support make it possible for Wisconsin Native Vote to tell important stories and make sure Native voices are heard.

This holiday season, I hope you will recall a story from your own community’s oral tradition. Continue to share these stories with one another and remember the impact this makes. I’m looking forward to continuing this tradition with you in 2023.

Miigwech (thank you),
Dee Sweet
Native Vote Manager
Wisconsin Conservation Voices

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Wisconsin Conservation Voices
133 S. Butler Street Suite 320
Madison, WI 53703
United States
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