Pueblo Storytellers

Pueblo Indian Storytellers. Pueblo Indian potters have been making figures out of clay for centuries, but the storyteller figures that they are famous for did not appear until the 1960’s. The storyteller figures, which show an elder with children gathered around to hear a story, reflect the importance of storytelling in the Pueblo culture. For centuries, Pueblo Indian elders have passed down their culture, traditions, and history to the children through oral stories and songs. The picture on the left is a traditional storyteller figure from Taos Pueblo. The figure on the right was created by a student in the Global Explorers Kids after school program.

Resources
Books
Arrow to the Sun: A Pueblo Indian Tale, by Gerald McDermott
The Turkey Girl: A Zuni Cinderella Story, by Penny Pollock and Ed Young
The Magic Hummingbird: A Hopi Folktale, by Ekkehart Malotki, Michael Lomatuway'Ma, and Michael Lacapa
Helen Cordero & the Storytellers of the Cochiti Pueblo, by Nancy Shroyer Howard
Pueblo Stories and Storytellers, by Mark Bahti
Children of Clay: A Family of Pueblo Potters (We Are Still Here), by Rina Swentzell and Bill Steen
Pueblo Storyteller, by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith

Cd/Dvd
The Keepers of the Earth, Red Feather Woman
The Little Hawk Show: Native American Stories & Songs

Online activities and resources

Native American storyteller – tales of wonder http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlHtzU133NI
Mini lecture on Pueblo Storyteller figures on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42ubb28IEFU&feature=related
Pictures of storyteller figures (this is a commercial site, but has some good pictures to see what the figures look like) http://www.chimayotrading.com/Pottery/Storyteller%201.htm