First Nations Storyteller-in-Residence

Vancouver Public Library's 2010 First Nations Storyteller-in-Residence to be announced in April

About the Program

Launched in the summer of 2009, the First Nations Storyteller-in-Residence program was created to enhance and establish new relationships with the Aboriginal and First Nations communities in Vancouver and to make the Library a more inclusive and welcoming place for people of Aboriginal and First Nations heritage. Over time the Library learned that traditional library services did not adequately meet the needs of First Nations and Aboriginal people. Through discussions with the First Nations community, the Library determined that a First Nations Storyteller-in-Residence program would benefit Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people alike.

Storytelling is a longstanding tradition in First Nations communities with stories passed down from generation to generation. The Library is pleased to support First Nations storytellers and hopes that public story sharing, mentorship and special projects with seniors and youth will help promote storytelling as an art and encourage learning about Aboriginal traditions.

This is the first such program at a public library in British Columbia and only the second position in the country after Regina Public Library.

The 2010 First Nations Storyteller-in-Residence will be announced in April. For information about the previous First Nations Storyteller-in-Residence, please see our Previous First Nations Storyteller-in-Residence section below.

For more information about the program, please call First Nations Storyteller-in-Residence Project Manager Stephanie Kripps at 604-331-3624.

The First Nations Storyteller-in-Residence program is generously funded by the Vancouver Foundation and the Vancouver Public Library Foundation.

First Nations Storyteller-in-Residence Events

Storytelling Events:

Details to be announced soon.

Workshops:

Details to be announced soon.

For more information about the program, please call First Nations Storyteller-in-Residence Project Manager Stephanie Kripps at 604 331-3624.

Previous First Nations Storytellers-in-Residence

		2009 First Nations Storyteller-in-Residence: Amanda Nahanee Amanda Nahanee, whose ancestral name is Shamantsut, is the Library’s inaugural First Nations Storyteller-in-Residence. She is a descendant and cultural ambassador of the Squamish and Nisga’a Nations. Amanda is well versed in Coast Salish language, mythology, history, rites and rituals, protocols and village sites. She has also spent extensive time researching and documenting Vancouver’s history and rich diversity of cultures and has addressed national and international gatherings from academic conferences to community events. Her experience at home and abroad has introduced her to a wealth of storytellers, elders, musicians and artists from various nations. Amanda’s formal training and traditional knowledge will showcase the Squamish and Nisga'a Nations and her broad experience bridges Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities. She is excited to be sharing stories of mythology and historical events from her culture that only recently began to emerge beyond the First Nations community.