Elkins, WVa. (WVDN) – Two Native storytellers will present programs for all ages on Saturday, August 17 at the Appalachian Forest Discovery Center in Elkins, WV. The public is invited to welcome Ana Stahlman (Tuscarora) and Nizhoni Kennedy (Seneca) and attend three free public events throughout the day. Saturday evening, the storytellers will visit Seneca Shadows Campground in Seneca Rocks, WV.
From 10:00 – 11:30 am, Ana Stahlman (Tuscarora) and Nizhoni Kennedy (Seneca) will lead a children’s theater workshop. “Gifts from the Earth” will share with children about the Haudenosaunee Creation Story: Skywoman. The class is free for elementary age participants, but space is limited, so please contact discovery@afnha.org to pre-register.
At 12 pm, Ana and Nizhoni will lead a corn husk doll workshop for all ages. In “Beauty has No Face- Corn Husk Dolls,” instructors will share the stories and origin around Haudenosaunee corn husk doll artistic traditions, and visitors will be welcome to create their own!
Finally, at 2pm, Ana and Nizhoni will present “We Gather Our Minds to Make One,” a program of Haudensaunee traditional stories, dancing, and audience engagement.
Attend these programs on the second floor of the Darden Mill, located at 101 Railroad Ave. Elkins, WV 26241. Be sure not to miss the exhibit “Creating Home: Indigenous Roots and Connections in the Appalachian Forest,” in the Discovery Center on the first floor of the Mill.
In the evening, Nizhoni and Ana will present “We Gather Our Minds to Make One” once more, at 7:30 at the Seneca Shadows Campground amphitheater in Seneca Rocks, WV, sponsored by the Eastern National Forests Interpretive Association in partnership with American Land & Leisure in the Monongahela National Forest.
Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (AFNHA) promotes cultural, historic, and natural assets and stories throughout our 18 county area of West Virginia and western Maryland highlands. This program is part of a series focusing on Indigenous Appalachia, including the Creating Home exhibit and multiple Indigenous Voices programs. Major funding is provided by the National Park Foundation, and by AFNHA as a member of the National Heritage Area System. For more information call 304-636-6182 or see www.appalachianforestnha.org.
