By Shaun Scott, Puyallup Tribal News
The sound of frogs echoed from the speakers at the Grandview Early Learning Center’s covered outdoor gymnasium at storytelling night on Feb. 25.
GELC staff shared the Traditional Narrative, ƛ’uʔilitəb ʔə tiiɫ swəq’iq’, “What the Frogs Say,” by Zalmai ʔəswəli Zahir.
GELC Support Services Specialist Amanda Frueh-Dillon said the story explained when the frogs come out, summer is coming. GELC teachers April Villegas and Lenissa Grover read the story twice in Lushootseed and English in front of the crowd. Villegas read the story a third time in only Lushootseed to finish the Traditional Narrative. Councilwoman Anna Bean was among those in the crowd.
Puyallup Tribal Language Program Director Amber Hayward spoke to kick off the event and closed the evening with a prayer before dinner was served. While speaking to the crowd, Hayward said GELC has worked really hard on Lushootseed to bring these stories back to the children.
“These stories give insight to our ancestors, and it gives us that space to have identity and to understand who we are and where we come from,” Hayward said.
This is the fourth storytelling night event held at GELC in the last few years.
GELC Director Traci Gonzalez said it’s special to GELC children and families because they’re carrying on tradition that’s been passed on throughout history.
“One of the only histories that we have is oral history because we weren’t a part of the textbooks,” Gonzalez said. “This is one way that we can provide the children traditions, and, in this setting, it is so beautiful.”
Before the Traditional Narrative began, GELC Teacher Cynthia LaPlante welcomed the audience and GELC Teacher Assistant Nicholas Wilson shared “Welcome Song.” GELC now has four certified Lushootseed teachers, which LaPlante said means everything to them.
“To be able to reclaim our language and share these stories with our family here at Grandview and the children we teach, it is something special,” she said.
LaPlante was happy to see children singing near the end of the storytelling night. She said incorporating the kids makes them feel a part of it and gives them a deeper connection with the story.
Below is the storytelling text of, ƛ’uʔilitəb ʔə tiiɫ swəq’iq’, “What the Frogs Say.”
“The Elders tell us about the frogs. The frogs appear when the weather starts to get warmer. Then the frogs call out. The frogs say: “Tide come in. Tide go away. Tide come in. Tide go away.” That is what the frogs do. And this is how we know when summer is truly coming! We hear the frogs say: “Tide come in. Tide go away. Tide come in. Tide go away.” Now, that is truly all.”
