Writing the New Native American Narrative

The bucolic account of the Wampanoag people of Massachusetts Bay sitting down with their recently arrived Pilgrim neighbors for a peaceful end-of-the-harvest-season feast is the inspiration for our nation's Thanksgiving Day holiday. Sadly, the account is one of too few most Americans can retell that portrays Native Americans in a positive light. Yet, throughout history storytellers have played a central role in Native American cultures. Today's Indigenous storytellers are continuing the tradition, writing about their diverse contemporary experiences and sharing their work via every available medium, including media that are technology enabled. For this episode, our guest Lee Francis IV, shares his take on where contemporary Native American storytelling is headed. Himself a poet, Francis is the national director and president of Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. He will discuss the role storytellers are playing in helping to shape a new future for Native American communities.