The Elrose Composite School recently played host to a pair of Aboriginal storytellers for their Lakota Legends event.

Children gathered around to hear tales and legends from Storytellers Stan Lethbridge and Kim Soo Goodtrack.

“Some were legends, stories from way back, and then Stan talked about hunting and skinning, and how long it would take. I think he said it would be a month to skin the buffalo and have it all prepared. Kim talked about when a woman was getting married, her family made her a teepee, and that it was her rules inside the teepee.”

That was Gayle Brown, an Elrose library board member.

Brown explained that both Lethbridge and Goodtrack used visual aids to tell their stories. Goodtrack had puppets of eagles and other animals, and Lethbridge had brought in a buffalo skin. Going beyond puppets, Goodtrack used pastels to draw pictures while she was telling her stories, to really help visualize the legends.

All of this was to help celebrate Aboriginal Storytelling Month, which allows native people to share their cultures and lifestyles with those who would be less familiar of their ways.

Brown explained why she believes Aboriginal Storytelling Month is so important.

“It broadens people’s horizons. I think that we have just kind of not been paying attention to any of the indigenous traditions, one of which would be the storytelling. It’s a good learning experience.”

Elrose was able to host the event about two years ago, as it is organized by the Wheatland Regional Library, which send the event to different locations every year. This year, the Lakota Legends event was also held in Kyle and Lucky Lake on February 25, and in Dinsmore and Elrose on the 26th.