Ancestors: Writing Family History-Main Page

Reviewed By: Estella Duran

REVIEW

Philomath Films’ Circle of Stories website is a unique, multi-media storytelling experience. The site uses a combination of documentary film, photos, art, music, and audio recordings to create a rich, multi-sensory experience while telling the stories of Native Americans. Macromedia Flash Player is required to watch the story presentations, which represent a variety of stories from Native American cooking and medicine to creation tales. The site’s design is impressive and professionally done, using a palette of earth tones that is consistent with the Native Americans’ relationship with nature. As an alternative, the stories are also presented in audio form only, which requires RealPlayer. The story about the five sacred medicines is also presented in the Navajo language in a RealPlayer audio file. The “Storytellers” section includes biographies for each of the four featured storytellers, who are from different tribes, as well as background information about the stories they tell on the site and about their respective tribes. A map of each tribe’s territory also is included in this section. Each biography page also includes the full transcript of the story each person tells. The “Many Voices” page outlines the different types of Native American stories and the lessons they teach. It also includes a link to “The Storytelling Gallery” section. This gallery includes an artful presentation of the text of some stories as well as photographs, videos, poetry, and quotes about Native American stories. An overview on Native American land issues, languages, and diversity is in the “We Are Here” section. This section also includes the interactive multimedia “Culture Gallery,” which addresses other issues of primary concern for Native Americans. An interactive place names map gives information on Native American origins and meanings for place names throughout the United States. Readers can continue the story circle by adding their own stories to the site or posting to a storytelling discussion board in the “Community” section. This section also gives information on other storytelling resources and provides contact information for the site’s four featured storytellers. Resources for teachers, including lesson plans for grades 6 through 12, are in the “For Educators” section. Each lesson plan includes about a week’s worth of plans that cover a specific theme, as well as specifying the national standards each lesson addresses.