When you form a storycircle, putting your left palm upwards connects you to the ancestors – and it becomes your task to pass on the stories you have been told. Such is the wisdom that can be learned from indigenous peoples – for they know something (if not everything) about the power of story. In most indigenous tales, the trickster archetype is used. This individual always has to learn lessons the hard way by getting into trouble. Trouble is when we are disconnected from the teachings of the elders, the wisdom of our tribe. Simple teaching yet profound, for when you examine your own life for ‘trouble’, what wisdom have you forgotten? This little book explores the seven principles used by North American First Nations in storywork: respect, responsibility, reciprocity, reverence, holism, interrelatedness, and synergy. A gem of a book.

Indigenous Storywork: Educating the Heart, Mind, Body, and Spirit