A great aspect of a cultural fest is that it can expand beyond the big screen into other media. And what better tie-in than a storytelling fest – the origin of all good films?
We were unable to attend the whole day’s festivities, but what we caught in the afternoon was pretty fun. The California Indian Storytelling Association came down from the Bay area to put on a good show.
The first fella presented coyote stories in standup comedian fashion, having the audience guess the punny morals to be learned from each tale. A Chumash family of singers followed with beautiful harmonies and lovely origin tales of the moon and shells – the imagery of hummingbirds poking out the stars in the sky will stick with me. Finally a fella in hokey caveman garb and a bad wig turned the Native American stereotype on its head and cracked up the audience with enthusiastic pantomimes.
Each entertainer was different from the one preceding him, and a good time was had by all.