The Stories that Soar! ensemble is preparing to return to the Tohono O’odham reservation for a second year on September 12 for a performance of stories written by students at Indian Oasis Elementary School. With a unique multigenerational and cultural focus, the collaboration is stretching the creativity of students and the performers alike.
The show, which is open to the public, will be held at 9 a.m. Friday, September 12, at Baboquivari High School, Indian Route 19, in Topawa.
Last year’s show was a bit different from the rest of the Stories that Soar! season. Students are usually encouraged to write about any subject they choose, but for this show the school wanted the fourth- and fifth-graders to interview a tribal elder and to write stories in their own words based on the elders’ experiences, childhood stories, and cultural myths. Goals of the project were to pass down traditions and history, to help strengthen bonds between generations, and to build children’s literacy skills.
For some students, it was the first time they had spoken (through the help of a teacher who could translate) with some of the elders who only speak the O’odham language.
“I liked going to the nursing home to interview an elder,” a fourth-grader said. “I learned so much.”
Stories ran the gamut of emotions, from tribal myths to heart-wrenching stories about forced assimilation and time spent in government boarding schools.
“You can laugh and be sad at the same time,” one fifth-grader observed after seeing the stories come to life onstage.
This year’s show will involve students from the entire school, from kindergarten to fifth grade. The fourth- and fifth-graders will still be interviewing elders, but all students have been welcomed to feed the Magic Box stories on any subject. They are encouraged to use plants, animals, music, places and objects with cultural relevance as inspiration.
For many students, the concept of storytelling was a traditional one – orally passing down old stories from generation to generation. The Stories that Soar! experience is opening a window into a new creative outlet, encouraging students to tell stories straight from their own imaginations and experiences. This is both challenging and exhilarating.
“I never imagined this could happen,” one fourth-grader said.
