Three members of the Ucluelet First Nation will demonstrate the power of history and storytelling in a ground-breaking workshop and presentation online.
On Sunday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m., elders Bob and Vi Mundy, as well as Jeneva Touchie and Samantha Touchie, will share stories in both Nuu-chah-nulth dialects and English in “Story Weavers – A Memoir Workshop.” This is a free Zoom presentation sponsored by the Federation of British Columbia Writers (FBCW) and the province of British Columbia.
The presentations are part of a memoir workshop on keeping history and tradition by memoir writing, hosted by FBCW board member and Nuu-chah-nulth member Randy Fred.
“I know Bob and Vi’s priorities, and for many years have been aware of different projects in Nuu-chah-nulth territory preserving and working at teaching the language,” Fred said, adding that there are more resources than ever for preserving language and history.
“Technology today makes it much easier to catalogue and store materials and promote them so they will be used.”
There will also be a question-and-answer session on Sunday for attendees to learn more.
“Our language is history that enables us to connect to our ancestors and guides us in our futures,” said presenter Jeneva Touchie.
The FBCW moved programming online after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic with its BC-Yukon Quite Determined Eco-Friendly Online Literary Road Trip. In September, programming will increase to include writing and reading events free to the public almost every day, and special continuing education classes once a month.
The events help the organization meet the needs of writers for connection, promotion, education and publishing, said FBCW president Jacqueline Carmichael.
“We’ve had a tremendous response from presenters and from attendees,” she said. “It’s important to make these resources available to writers all over the province and beyond.”
The public can register for Story Weavers for free at bcwriters.ca and they will be sent a link to the Zoom videoconferencing event.
“This is an amazing opportunity to listen to stories carrying the weight of history and the power of traditional Nuu-chah-nulth language,” said Carmichael. “We appreciate the support of the province for our memoir workshops, and we’re so pleased to share this with the public.”
