A collection of short stories by Lower Kuskokwim School District elementary school students based on their interviews with Elders in their communities. The Yukon Kuskokwim Delta region of Alaska, where the Yup'ik and Cup'ik have lived for over ten thousand years, provides the background for this beautiful collection of Traditional Stories, Stories about Ways of Life, Subsistence Stories, Hunting Stories and Ghost Stories.

The Stories from the Past project was developed and implemented by Laura Jeane Story Schlapkohl, an Americorps*Vista Volunteer under the direction of Joan Hamilton, the Yupiit Piciryarait Museum Director-Curator during the spring of 2003. The Association of Village Council Presidents and the Yupiit Piciryarait Museum together supported the Stories from the Past Writing Competition.

Stories from the Past Writing Competition

The Stories from the Past Writing Competition began in January 2003 with the announcement to elementary schools throughout the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta Region that submissions to the competition would be accepted through April 1, 2003. The Stories from the Past Writing Competition required students to interview an Elder in their community, and to write a story based on the interview. Students were encouraged to write in both English and Yup'ik, adding to the language preservation aspects of the project. As of April 1, 2003 we received seventy entries from four schools to the Stories from the Past Writing Competition.

Schools who participated in Stories from the Past 2003
Akiuk Memorial School, Akiuk, Alaska
Chefornak School, Chefornak, Alaska
Kilbuck Elementary School, Bethel, Alaska
Kuinerramiut Elitnaurviat, Quinhagak, Alaska Grand Prize Best Collections of Stories
Teachers who participated in Stories from the Past 2003
April Blevins, Kilbuck Elementary School
Meg Gag, Akiuk Memorial School
Sherry Marousek, Kuinerramiut Elitnaurviat
Eric Pederson, Kuinerramiut Elitnaurviat
Nick Straw, Chefornak School
Students who participated in Stories from the Past 2003
Akiuk Memorial School
Danya Andrews, Interview with George Keene, Sr.
Grand Prize Individual Story Winner
Natasia Anvil, Interview with Lucy Kassel
Harry Berlin, Interview with Daniel Berlin, Jr.
Michael Berlin, Interview with Rhonda Berlin
Anastasia Brink, Interview with Lucy Brink
George Isaac, Interview with George Keene, St.
Renae Keene, Interview with Lena Keene
Michael Martin, Jr., Interview with Marie A. Charles
Sherry Oscar, Interview with Marie A. Charles and Molly Oscar
Harry Slim, Interview with Eddie Andrew
Sillufie Thomas, Jr., Interview with Cecil Active
Naomi White, Interview with Moses White, Sr.
Edward Wassillie, Interview with Dora Wassillie
Chefornak School
Janelle Kinegak, Interview with Eliza Fairbanks
Thomas Mael, Interview with Bob Tunuchuk
Bretina Agnus, Interview with Cyril Alexie
Vicki Wiseman, Interview with Josephine Wiseman
David Chagluak, Interview with Martina Chagluak
Dana Gerhart, Interview with Eliza Fairbanks
Kilbuck Elementary School
Emerie Fairbanks, Interview with Debbie Fairbanks
Santee McKay, Interview with Arleata Snell
Susan Dostert, Interview with Donna Carpenter
Max Fancher, Interview with Charlene Fancher
Whitney Walker, Interview with Debbie Walker
Avery Atti, Interview with Trevor Henderson
Delwen Samuelson, Interview with Abigail Samuelson
Randy Hanson, Interview with Abigail Samuelson
Dustin Hayden, Interview with Rafe Johnson
Sumo Walker, Interview with Shirley Lawson
Dylan Stanton, Interview with Mike Stanton
Jenny Klejka, Interview with Jackie Klejka
Leland Rogers, Interview with Ina Morgan
Trevor Henderson, Interview with Rose Henderson
Kendrick Lange, Interview with Jacquie Campbell
Elizabeth Turrentine, Interview with her aunt
Brooke Charlie, Interview with Tonya Charlie
Kathryn Medinger, Interview with Mary Kay Medinger
John Street, Interview with Teddy Street
Nancie Grifka, Interview with Clair Grifka
Henry Thorne, Interview with Ina Morgan
Cheryl George, Interview with Winnie Billy
Marissa Hunter, Interview with Mary Uttereyuk
Danielle Beaver, Interview with Susan Murphy
Kuinerramiut Elitnaurviat
Krystin Beebe, Interview with Paul Beebe
Charlene Church, Interview with Paul Beebe
Vera Cleveland, Interview with Paul Beebe
Zane Debilt, Interview with Louisa Britton
Travis Nick, Interview with Lousia Britton
Arthur Abalama, Interview with Annie Cleveland
Danny Abalama, Interview with Annie Cleveland
Christopher Mark Jr., Interview with Kenneth Cleveland
Michael Smith, Interview with Kenneth Cleveland
Lonry Strunk, Interview with Kenneth Cleveland
Robert Guest, Interview with Olinka Donahuk
Willie Nelon, Interview with Edith Evans
Lynn Church, Interview with Mary Ford
Christina Ford, Interview with Mary Ford
Olivia Guest, Interview with Mary Ford
Kendra Cleveland, Interview with Dora Green
Marcella Jones, Interview with Dora Green
Martin Roach II, Interview with Oscar Friendly
Kristy A. Mark, Interview with Annie Mark
Julius Henry, Interview with John Mark
Eric Brown, Interview with Henry Matthew
Brittany Andrew, Interview with Jakub and May Nelson
Carissa Cleveland, Interview with Jakub and May Nelson
Richard Cleveland, Interview with Jakub Nelson
Kera Foster, Interview with Carrie Pleasant
Jeffrey Matthew, Interview with Carrie Pleasant
Alicia Sharp, Interview with Carrie Pleasant

During the month of April, a committe of judges at the Yup'it Piciryarait Museum and Allen Joseph of AVCP selected the Grand Prize Best Collection of Stories and the Overall Individual Story Winner

Kuinerramiut Elitnaurviat of Quinhagak, Alaska was awarded the Grand Prize Best Collection of Stories.

Danya Iqvarta Andrews of Akiuk Memorial School was awarded as the Overall Individual Story Winner for her story "The Grandmother's Song".

On March 16, 2003 the local Bethel band Los Esposos played a free concert at the Museum as a fund raiser for Stories from the Past. This event, which nearly 70 people attended, raised funds for the Stories from the Past Writing Competition and Exhibit. The Bethel Lion's Club also donated to the Stories from the Past Writing Competition. The funds from the Museum Benefit Show and from the Lion's Club were used to put together the Stories from the Past Exhibit, and to pay for prizes for all of the students who participated. Every students who submitted a story to Stories from the Past received a medal of participation.

Trophies were awarded to the winning school and to the winning student Danya Andrews.

The Stories from the Past Exhibit opened at the Yupiit Piciryarait Museum on May 20, 2003. The Stories from the Past exhibit features every story received this year. Traditional Stories, stories about ways of life, subsistence stories and ghost stories decorated the museum walls. The Stories from the Past Exhibit also featured paintings by Bethel Regional High School art students. The high school art students, under direction of their teacher Jayne Hotaling, interviewed Elders in the community and created pieces inspired by their interviews.

The Stories from the Past project created opportunities for Elders to teach youth, strengthening the bond between generations. Students were given the chance, whether through writing or painting, to creatively express and preserve traditional knowledge. As part of a language and culture preservation project, the stories will remain at the Yupiit Piciryarait Museum and at libraries in the region fo

Critically acclaimed by writers and gurus alike, this kaleidoscope book of stories deeply probes cross-cultural conflict in Canadian society. In one story, a Dene settlement springs to life around one mesmerizing character with nothing more than voice and desire, and magic happens. In another, points of view clash on "infidels," "a good marriage," lust, love, office politics and elitist power. Would-be Canadians play a psychological endgame in the sinister and shadowy world of illegal immigrants and false papers. A dysfunctional family story set in another First Nations settlement shows how love triumphs as a bright kid struggles against drugs and evil. One of the stories about hate and love pits Afro-Canadians against each other. In another, a house is sold, and the neighbours speculate about the new owner: "I picture a family with eleven kids. Hells Angels. A Mormon with three wives."

"Abe" turns cross-cultural conflict on its head by testing the stamina of a central Asian man in a Canadian construction site in winter. Two white ex-Winnipeggers in exotic Bombay figure in a richly layered story of old love, rejection and survival, benevolence and antagonism. "Inca's Return" presents images of the interdependence of the human and the natural. "Swearing at the Queen" rounds off the collection with a delightful romp through political correctness and prejudice in a courtroom.

Of interest to reader of romance, mystery-crime-suspense and general fiction and to all readers who love a good yarn, plus students and professionals such as educators, political officials, public servants and researchers in Canadian Studies, International Development, Psychology, Religion, Sociology, Cultural/Social Anthropology, Canadian Literature, Geopolitics, Government Policy and programs--any field in which cultural matters are key. This book reflects the increasing cultural plurality of Canadian society and literature. It brings new perspectives on the poor and the developing world--to some an exotic, strange geo-world existing partly right here at home, in our own North and in out cities.

The purpose of the anthology, in our view, is to bring together in one book the contributions of young and old, of diverse heritage and background; a treasure trove of life experience for all to share in. We have included short stories, poetry and art from several people in the Northwest area, ranging from a 12-year-old girl to a man 86years of age. Many names are familiar; some are unknown but they all contribute to the richness that is our region — the Northwest.

This amazing collection of personal moments covers the gamut of human experience, ranging from the profound to some very practical life lessons. Every piece is a gem in its own right, shared by real people in their own words. The project was the inspiration of the editor, Judi Cumming, but was only possible throught generous contributions of 34 individuals who wrote the stories and poems, which make up this anthology. The title is descriptive of the content. Every one of these real life experiences describes the light of understanding resulting from an "Aha!" moment of clarity. In every case the author has been moved and changed by the experience. We are privileged to share each of these revelations, whether they be the lessons taught by the death of a parent, the shedding of years of repression or fear, the joy of special accomplishments or simply the recognition that the grass only "looks" greener on the other side of the fence.

The contributors are ordinary people living what we call normal lives. None are famous or heroic in the usual sense yet each is tremendously brave and generous in sharing these most personal thoughts and experiences. Mostly they are Canadians, young and old, male and female, highly educated and not. They are real people whose real experiences have moved and influenced them in unforgettable ways. The reader should not expect to finish this book without a tingle up the spine or a tear in the eye. Some of the writers come from a strong religious tradition, but many others espouse alternative spirituality while still others apparently hold no beliefs of this nature at all. Still, each one was moved deeply, to the point that in some cases, events of 50 and more years ago hold an "as if it happened yesterday" reality for them. Readers are invited to sip at this offering, savouring each essay or poem and letting it stimulate thoughts and memories, perhaps even revealing some of their own "Points of Light" and the will to embrace them.

This exclusive collection contains the top twenty-five winning entries of the 7th Annual Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition, including the First-Place winner "3:57 (Night Vision)," by Kathleen Latham.

An anthology of 26 diverse stories of peace - achieving peace inwardly, through social activism or through inter-personal dialogue, enjoy the inspirational stories of peace makers such as Gandhi, and international peace spokespeople from around the world. Authors include a former astronaut, an Iraq war survivor, peace educators from universities worldwide, South African, Mexico and Central American peace negotiators, Peace Gardens creators and many more whose inspirational stories will set your heart aflame! Seeking peace is a universal quest.

Birthed at the popular open-mic series, La Parole, T-Dot Griots is an intimate journey through previously undocumented Canadian experiences, reporting from Toronto's black communities in fiction, poetry, articles, plays and songs. The book features contributions by over forty writers of African descent, either raised in or residing in Toronto.

The griot is a West African storyteller, traditionally responsible for presiding over all of the important milestones in the life a community. T Dot Griots is a window into the communities occupied by black Canadian artists depicting their experiences living in the African diaspora. The griot carried the important function of preserving the community's history and culture through songs and recitations. Now transported across the Atlantic Ocean, non-traditional methods of expression emerge to document the existence of a little known group of people: the black community of Toronto.

Toronto is widely acknowledged as the world's most culturally diverse city. T Dot Griots was produced to portray the rich cultural diversity existing within its African communities. The anthology brings together spoken word poets and PhD's, hip hop artists and playwrights, students and professionals. The book voices issues of racial inequality and immigrant experiences. It illustrates numerous spiritual vantage points and political commentaries. Most of all it is an unapologetically accurate representation of an ever growing canon of writers making Toronto their home, who wish to acknowledge the many facets of African-Canadian identity.

Immerse yourself in the words, work and life of East, West and Southern Africans. Plunge into the hybridized dialect of Caribbean natives and descendents. Wade through generations of celebrated cast of Toronto's outspoken voices. Listen to the T Dot Griot tell the tale of the ages in a proudly Canadian style.

O’s Own Writers hail from the south Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada, and all have a compelling story to tell about the women in their lives and a related intriguing experience that perhaps has marked them for life, set them apart, turned their life around, opened their eyes to possibilities, or ended their innocence. Through the stories of women like Hope who skated 22 miles home for Christmas; Lill whose leap of faith helped her through challenging times; and Mary who survived countless misfortunes, the writers share a glimpse into epiphany, regret, nostalgic moments, and the grit and determination of each woman profiled.

These tales will never again be just whispered down the well, but instead will be recognized by others as an inspiration to prevail through the hard times and to celebrate all women’s contributions to society—no matter how big or small.

O’s Own Writers hail from the south Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada, and all have a compelling story to tell about the women in their lives and a related intriguing experience that perhaps has marked them for life, set them apart, turned their life around, opened their eyes to possibilities, or ended their innocence. Through the stories of women like Hope who skated 22 miles home for Christmas; Lill whose leap of faith helped her through challenging times; and Mary who survived countless misfortunes, the writers share a glimpse into epiphany, regret, nostalgic moments, and the grit and determination of each woman profiled.

These tales will never again be just whispered down the well, but instead will be recognized by others as an inspiration to prevail through the hard times and to celebrate all women’s contributions to society—no matter how big or small.