Traditional Stories & Teachings
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object that is passed down within a culture, still maintained in the present but with origins in the past. Many traditions and traditional stories have been passed down to us over the generations. Learn about some of them here.
LATEST
Our Stories Connect Us to Place and People
Indigenous people have always been some of the best storytellers, and recently...
Who is Deer Woman from Reservation Dogs?
In “Come and Get Your Love” (Season 1, Episode 5) of the...
#Indigilove Recap Video
Indigenous Star Stories
When you look up at the night’s sky, what do you see?...
Indigenizing Movement and Mental Health
Movement is medicine – for our mind, body, and spirit. For our...
Defined by my Ancestors, Not Dead Presidents
History Through a Native Lens
Timeline Overview This timeline of historically traumatic events was authored by Karina...
Bad Indians: A Poem By Ryan Red Corn
I was told by those old ones that every song has a...
Elder Teachings
A Native Candidate’s Story
When Barbara Vicknair (enrolled citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians...
Indigenous Story Studio
Indigenous Story Studio creates illustrations, posters, video and comic books on health...
MMIWG (Murdered Missing Indigenous Women and Girls)
I Am Indian Country
Respect, honesty, love, bravery, humility, truth and wisdom are our cultural values....
I Strengthen My Nation
A media campaign featuring Hollywood actor Chaske Spencer (who played Sam Uley...
My Culture
We R Quileute
The Lakota Berenstain Bears
The first ever Native American language cartoon series celebrated its one year...
Smudging
Have you ever been at a powwow or a ceremonial gathering and...
REPRESENT
Kayla Gebeck, Red Lake Ojibwe, studies linguistics and Native American Studies at...
Values
The seven grandfather teachings passed down by our elders have given us...
Tolowim Woman & Butterfly Man
A Tolowim woman went out to gather food. She took her child...
Asema Is Sacred
The Woman Who Loved a Serpent Who Lived in a Lake
There was a very beautiful woman. She turned the heads of all...
The Three Sisters
An Iroquois legend tells of three sisters who sprouted from the body...
Family
Shante’s grandma has been there for her through thick and thin. She...
Teaching Quotes From Our Elders
We Indians live in a world of symbols and images where the...
Story of the Seasons
Long, long ago there were many kinds of Seasons. They were very...
How the Chipmunk Got Its Stripes
A traditional Tulalip story of how the chipmunk got its stripes....
Story of Rock
In the beginning, the Creator was lonely and decided to create the...
Seven Grandfathers
Once there was a child. Though she was very young, the patriarchs...
Miss Indian Nations
A short conversation with Shanoa Pinkham (Yakama), 2011 Miss Indian Nations.
Man in the Maze
“The maze is a symbol of life … happiness, sadness … and...
Legend of the Origin of Baskets
Long ago, there was a young woman whom we would call in...
Natives Helping Natives
A Public Service Announcement filmed by youth participants at the NativeSTAND conference...
Elders
Native American elders are revered individuals who provide wisdom and leadership for...
Creation Story – Warm Springs
Long ago, long before the coming of the great flood, the Cocoon...
To the Indigenous Women: A Poem by the 1491s
Raise Awareness and Help End the Epidemic of Violence against Native Women...
Coyote’s Carelessness
Coyote was going along and he came to a river where five...
Coyote Dances With A Star
Because the Great Mystery Power had given Coyote much of his medicine,...
Two Spirit Project (Garni)
Garni (Blackfoot Nation) talks about coming out as a lesbian and her...
Coyote And The Mallard Duck
As Coyote was traveling up the river when he saw five mallard...
Beadwork: Tips and Supplies
Here is a link to a website that offers diagrams on how...
