Native Tales

While most St. Louisians were hunkering down during our monsoon weather conditions, our family ventured out on Saturday. The St. Louis Artist Guild was hosting a collaborative storytelling program in partnership with Maturity and Its Muse's "Celebrating Art for Senior EngAGEment Festival", and the 38th Annual St. Louis Storytelling Festival.

Dolores Santha (aka Grandma Coyote), 92 years young delighted our family by sharing tales her father passed down to her when she was just a child. Santha descended from Native American heritage. She is a daughter of a Comanche father and a Seneca mother. Over the years she has participated in powwows and gatherings at schools and educational centers around the country. She has been a police officer, an Indian Center director, an AARP liaison, and has also been a tireless advocate for prisoner rights, having been nominated to be a liaison with Native prisoners in the state of Missouri.

And, good news! There's still time to take part in this unique festival as The St. Louis Storytelling Festival is not just one event -- rather a collection of more than 60 events happening throughout the area May 3rd - 6th.

After listening to Grandma's tales we had fun making animal masks.

Lots of interesting displays for the Displacement and Migration exhibit