Intro: On October 24, Dr. Kahente Horn-Miller, of the Mohawk Nation, gave a powerful sharing about her ancestors, culture, and connection to the earth through monologue, song, and dance during the presentation of Standing with Sky Woman: A conversation on cultural fluency. In this post, current OHMA student, Francine D. Spang-Willis, considers the method of transferring Indigenous knowledge to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples through storytelling as an oral history method. She also explores oral history as ceremony and ceremony as oral history. 

A few years ago, I sat in a sweat lodge ceremony on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana. It was winter, and I could feel the frozen ground between my body, my skirt, and the rug on which I sat. We, both women and men, sat in a circle facing each other. In the center of the lodge, hot rocks glowed a beautiful red and orange. I heard the distinct hissing sound when the water poured over them. I closed my eyes as the steam rose up and around us. I welcomed the fine mist on my face and body, the smell of cedar, and the prayers and songs that we sang.

A few weeks ago, I sat in a conference room on the Columbia University campus in New York City. It was winter, but I could not feel the elements outside; however, I felt comfortable. The audience, including men and women, sat in chairs placed in rows with Dr. Kahente Horn-Miller at the front of the room. Through monologue, song, and dance, she shared a story about her great-grandmother, Sky Woman. I opened my senses as best as I could, and I welcomed the opportunity to hear, see, and understand Kahente and Sky Woman. 

Kahente explained vital concepts, including her view that storytelling is the process of using all of the senses to make the stories "live in the minds of the people." She also told us about her wish for us to have a dialogue with her about her culture. Through this dialogue, a deeper understanding and relationship can exist.

Kahente also makes clear that she is decolonizing the story of Sky Woman by telling the story through her lens. She explained that she is "rematriating" and putting the feminine back into it. By doing so, I can see that Kahente is decolonizing herself, her daughters, her granddaughter, and all the spaces where she shares the story and the people in those spaces, including us.  

Kahente also mentions that a critical responsibility of mothers and fathers is to carry and share the knowledge with the "coming faces" or the future generations. She hopes to see Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples working together to help care for the earth for future generations. There is an opportunity for us, as the listeners in the audience, to help fulfill these wishes and prayers.

During the gathering, Kahente used her mind, body, and voice to connect with us, as the audience. Through her storytelling, she linked us to her Indigenous culture, ancestors, "coming faces," animals, plants, water, and the land. Throughout the evening, we connected by learning more about each other, and we, individually and collectively, also served as the interviewer, listener, recorder, and archive.  

Similarly, during a sweat lodge ceremony, participants use their mind, body, and voice to engage with each other. Through the process, there is a connection to our ancestors, each other, family, friends, future generations, the land and all living things on it. Participants also become the interviewer, narrator, listener, recorder, and archive.

 An oral history event, as demonstrated by our evening with Kahente, can include aspects of a sweat lodge ceremony, and a sweat lodge ceremony can consist of elements of an oral history event. They both consist of dialogue, song, prayer, the connection of the participants to culture, each other, ancestors, future generations, the land and all living things on it. Also, both gatherings will include an intention, preparation, and engagement of women and men. The participants in both events have the opportunity to fulfill the roles of the interviewer, narrator, recorder, and archive. In consideration of these circumstances, oral history can be a ceremony and ceremony can be oral history.

Francine D. Spang-Willis is of the Northern Cheyenne Nation and is a current OHMA student. Francine has previous experience in the non-profit, higher education, and federal government sectors. Her work intends to center the Indigenous voice and perspective.

This post represents the opinion of the author, and not of OHMA.