By Shaun Scott, Puyallup Tribal News
Puyallup Tribal Language Director Amber Hayward received an email from a co-worker in early 2025 notifying her about the upcoming World Storytelling Day, which occurs every year on March 20 across the world.
The rest is history.
The Puyallup Tribal Language Program decided to host a World Storytelling Day – sləx̌il ʔə tiiɫ sx̌ʷiʔab – celebration in front of a packed house in the Tribal Administration Building lobby on March 20. More than 100 individuals attended the festivities, including Puyallup Tribal Councilwoman Anna Bean and Councilman Fred Dillon.
The Language Program took inspiration from the late Vi taqʷšəblu Hilbert, an Upper Skagit Elder who dedicated her life to the Lushootseed language and was a masterful storyteller. The lobby posters and giveaway shirts displayed taqʷšəblu’s photo in honor of the work she did for storytellers in Lushootseed country.
Heritage Division Manager Connie sɫupayqʷuʔ McCloud delivered the blessing, kicking off the event. The Language Program shared multiple stories in both Lushootseed and English throughout the evening, proudly sharing the Tribe’s language with those in attendance. Each staff member of the Language Program told a different story to attendees. Multiple Tribal Members, including children, took the opportunity to get on the mic, sharing stories with the crowd in attendance.
Chris Duenas opened the floor with John x̌ut Hote’s Lushootseed story of təqubət yəxʷ dukʷibəɫ, “The Mountain and Transformer,” which was the inspiration for the artwork in the new administration lobby wall that he created. Other stories shared included, “How the Whales Reached the Sea,” and dukʷibəɫ yəxʷ tiiɫ sbəq’ʷəʔ “The Changer and Blue Heron.” Julyssa Coats, Nicholas Wilson and Cynthia LaPlante, some of the Tribe’s youngest certified Lushootseed instructors, took the floor and shared the stories they’ve been working on, including dukʷibəɫ yəxʷ tiiɫ sqəgʷəc “The Changer and Deer,” and dukʷibəɫ yəxʷ c’əbalqid “Transformer and Mink.”
Hayward was ecstatic with the turnout and overall reception at the event.
“It was very wonderful for our community to be sharing together in this way,” Hayward said. “Years ago, this didn’t happen in our community. We didn’t get to hear people sharing stories or even speaking our language in this way.”
Hayward said she consulted with McCloud before the final decision was made to partake in World Storytelling Day.
“Connie is our beloved Elder. When I asked her if we could do this event, she was really excited about it,” Hayward said. “We hope to do more of these events and keep sharing our stories. There were a lot of faces I have never seen that were here tonight. That made me very happy.”
Hayward and the Language Program staff have been working hard on their storytelling skills and meet weekly to share out Traditional Narratives. Their current work includes scribing and drawing the Traditional Stories, and doing their best to memorize and share the Lushootseed stories in their own words.
Councilwoman Bean enjoyed seeing a wide range of different families in attendance.
“It was great watching the continued strengthening of our Language Department, getting to hear the history from Connie and seeing how many different families were here tonight. It wasn’t just one family and it wasn’t just one area of the Tribe. It was a nice mix of our community,” Bean said.
Councilman Dillon was glad to be on hand for the first storytelling night in the new Tribal Administration building.
“It is a big event. It’s great to see the traditional ways of how we were and where we come from,” Dillon said. “To see it come back here in our new administration building, it is really exciting for the community. I can’t wait for it to be a regular thing.”
Culture Coordinator Michael Hall was thrilled to see so many of the Tribe’s youth in attendance.
“That sense of spiritual nourishment, these are the stories that are going to keep the very fabric and morality of this community and the Tribe intact,” Hall said. “I see a lot of babies (children) here, and even if they are not listening totally, they are still absorbing everything. It’s a beautiful thing.”
During her blessing, McCloud asked each individual in attendance to introduce themselves to someone in the audience they did not know. The importance of connecting is something McCloud believes in wholeheartedly.
“Storytelling is really about teaching,” McCloud said. “This gives us an opportunity to come together as a community. One of the things we want to focus on is how we are related and who are we related to. That’s why I said to turn around and introduce yourself to somebody.”
McCloud shared a story with the audience about being on a canoe on the Columbia River near Umatilla, Oregon years ago.
“It is what we did in the winter time. We’re coming out of winter time and now to spring. It was how we taught our children,” McCloud said. “There were some young kids up there sharing tonight and some older people. It gives us an opportunity to teach and listen to each other.”
Toward the end of the evening, Tribal Member and Security Officer Will Kukona-Sonn shared his gratitude to McCloud and blessed the people with a song in Hawaiian.
“I love vibes, I love energy and when I feel that, I just want to do stuff,” he said. “I wanted to represent my people. I just love stories. Growing up that’s all it was. It was learning stories from the Elders that carried on to you, and you want to carry that on and pass it down to the kids. It makes you feel good it will be carried on from generation to generation.”
