An Anishinaabe storytelling event this Saturday highlights a project aimed at linking Native American language and heritage. Andy Butter reports from WRNC in Ashland.

Wesley Ballinger is heading the language project “Gadaaadizookanananig – Our Stories.” Ballinger is a language specialist for the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission or GLIFWC. He says they’ve been recording stories for more than two years with the help of funding from the Association of Native Americans.

“The language project is recording these stories of traditional Anishinaabe cultural practices. The original scope of our project was to record sacred legends maybe some Winneboozhoo stories. Basically how things became, why things are the way they are.”

Ballinger says native communities are in danger of losing their languages and culture. He says younger generations are pulling away from their native tongue.

“More and more we’re seeing storytellers using just English.”

Ballinger says these stories hold spiritual significance while linking old and new generations.

“A couple hundred years ago, families would be in their wig-wams, you would have these different generations of grandkids and grandparents and all these long hours of darkness. These are perfect opportunities to teach and entertain. That’s what these stories are…they’re interweaving traditional knowledge and humor.”

Ballinger says these stories are important, not only to preserve Native identity, but they also make it easier to get through a long winter.

GLIFWC is hosting the Anishinaabe storytelling event at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center just off Highway 2 west of Ashland. The event will start at two on Saturday afternoon.

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