sa国际传媒淎 long, long, long time agosa国际传媒�sa国际传媒�

Thatsa国际传媒檚 how Kenthen Thomas starts off How Coyote Made the Tree Fall In Love with Him, one of the traditional stories he likes to tell whenever he performs.

Thomas, a teacher by trade, is participating in B.C. Culture Days as one of its ambassadors, organizing an event and performing in it. Culture Days is an annual national celebration of arts and culture, where people from all over Canada can attend and participate in free events for four weeks.

Last year, the celebration looked a little different due to COVID-19 but 2021 is offering more in-person events both indoors and outdoors, as well as online.

Thomassa国际传媒� event will be held outdoors among traditional pithouses, where he will be sharing Stspetkwll, which translates to sa国际传媒渓egends that teach.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淭he two main things that Isa国际传媒檝e learned the legends teach us are how the world came to be and the second one that I think is the most important, especially for today,sa国际传媒� is how not to behave,sa国际传媒� he said.

He said these stories are important now because they have a lesson or a message for everyone.

sa国际传媒�(A legend) isnsa国际传媒檛 preachy, it isnsa国际传媒檛 instruction, it isnsa国际传媒檛 prescribed lessons,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淵ou listen to the story, you watch the storyteller tell the story and you take away from it whatever it is, the lesson that you feel like you need to learn.sa国际传媒�

Besides sharing traditional stories, Thomas is also working on an original piece that will have a similar style to a legend, but has a more modern spin to it. The piece will be co-written with his mentor Billy Cohen.

He said theysa国际传媒檝e been working on it for more than two years and it will feature traditional characters.

sa国际传媒淭he piece will contain the animal people, like Coyote and Brother Bear. Theysa国际传媒檙e going to see what we call the People Eaters. Long ago, they were creatures that devoured us humans,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淚n our piece, wesa国际传媒檙e naming the People Eaters Greed, Money, Corporation, things like that, because those are the things that we see as the People Eaters now.sa国际传媒�

But more than teaching and inspiring, he said that sharing these stories now shows the strength and the triumphs of First Nations.

sa国际传媒淚f you think about whatsa国际传媒檚 been happening, especially here in Canada with all the children being found near the residential schoolssa国际传媒�, the whole concept of the residential schools was to kill the Indian to save the child.

sa国际传媒淲hen Isa国际传媒檓 telling stories, I like to remind the students that these stories, the language that comes with these stories, and the connection to the land, all that was supposed to be annihilated,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淲e werensa国际传媒檛 supposed to have these stories but fortunately the stories persevered and theysa国际传媒檙e here today. We need to keep sharing these stories to say sa国际传媒榯hese stories belong to me and to the land and Isa国际传媒檓 going to share it with you today.sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒�

Thomassa国际传媒� performances are scheduled for Sept. 25, and Oct. 1 and 2, and will be held at the trail just off 800 First Nations Rd.

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