The Saint Rose Chronicle

Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Alex Tunney Storyteller Kay Olan explained how to make dreamcatchers.

Media Credit: Alex Tunney Patrons of the event enjoyed a variety of Native American food

New York and Albany have rich Native American history tied into the overall history of the state and city. The Office of Multi-Cultural affairs reminded students and staff of that history with a celebration of Native American culture last Tuesday afternoon in the Main Lounge. The assortment of food, crafts and storytelling kept everyone fed and entertained while they learned a lot of history.

Food on hand that night was strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, corn chowder, pumpkin pie, salad and brown rice along with fruit drinks. The idea was to represent all-natural food that could have been found in the surrounding environment. Many Native American tribes have a rich tradition of using the natural means to support themselves, including food.

"I thought the food was wonderfully made with rich natural flavors and ingredients. Nuts in the rice, corn meal it was amazing and authentic," said senior Jarred Haynes.

Along with the food was traditional Native American music playing in the background while people ate or made dream-catchers. Dream catchers are believed to capture bad dreams or nightmares, while good dreams would be able to pass on through. Those who attended were also able to win prizes during the raffles.

After an hour of food and craft making, a storyteller was introduced. Kay Olan, whose traditional Kanienkeh name is Ionataietus, told many stories from her people's past and present.

Olan is a retired school teacher who has spent the past twenty years storytelling and providing cultural information. She introduced herself as a member of the Wolf Clan wearing traditional dress. Many tribes have a history of oral storytelling, and she weaved stories in with the history and culture of her people.

One of the things Olan explained was that the clans, named after local animals such as bears, wolves and turtles, were matrilineal, meaning that association was based off of a person's mother. She also emphasized that she was introducing parts of her culture and the surrounding nations, as there are many Native American tribes and nations, with many different traditions.

The Kanienkeh people, named the Mohawk nation by European settlers, which is a name that means 'people of the flint,' are a Native American nation who have their origin in the upstate New York area and the surrounding region, including parts of Canada.

They're apart of the 'Six Nations', also known as the 'Iroquois Confederacy' or the 'People of the Longhouse' which is made of the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk peoples. The Tuscarora joined the then 'Five Nation' later on, making the six nations.

She introduced her first story by showing how she's helped in remembering them.

"A story teller usually carries a story bag," said Olan. "I carry things that remind me of stories."

Her first story was about many birds receiving their songs. The story explained why the eagle looks the way it does and why the thrush hides in the forest.

She followed that story by brining out a confederacy, or nation belt, explaining the previously mentioned information and how the belt reflected that story. This lead then into the story of how the six nations stopped fighting and joined together. She followed with a story about how the turtle beat a bear in a race.

Her last story took place in the more recent past. Her mother was on reservation that had teachers who tried to make her feel bad about her culture, except for one science teacher named Ray. Ray has played an important part in her and her mother's lives. The main story was a short and cute one about Needles, a porcupine he nursed back to health and kept as a pet. Humorously, the pet porcupine became somewhat domesticated. She tells this story to show that people can always add new stories to their collection over time.

"I think storytelling is important because it brings us together, and then hopefully we're reminded that we have more in common the differences," Olan said.

She explained the reasons for why she does the storytelling.

"We're eager to share information about our beliefs because we think they have value especially the concept of showing respect and appreciation and love for the natural world we are a part of," Olan said.

Those who attended learned a lot from the event.

"I learned that Native American culture is one of wisdom and in the case of most Americans untapped," Haynes said. "I loved the story-teller. I hope that I develop a beautiful song as in the story about the birds."

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