Speaker 1: Good morning, Cynthia. How are you doing today?
Speaker 2: Good morning, I'm lovely thank you, how are you?
Speaker 1: Fantastic excited to talk with you, because I have been
with many elders, and I've sat with many medicine men
in this area, and the thing is is that they've
always been worried about nobody is writing the stories, and
all of a sudden, the universe has given us you
because you're you're so authentic in this book. I just
I'm so proud of you.
Speaker 2: Well, I am profoundly honored.
Speaker 1: Thank you for your kindness to bring it together. Where
where in your heart did you find the story and
did you feel like that it needs to be shared
in a way of making a truer connection with the
up and coming generations.
Speaker 2: A lot of the inspiration for the story comes from
our very old stories, those stories of ancient times and
the deep ancestors. So this sort the spark of the
story was a traditional story about an ancient ballgame between
the birds and the animal, and in that context that
was sort of pushed aside because that was small and
no one thought that that could make a difference. That
won a ballgame for the animals by flying high and
catching a ball in his teeth, and that for our
little one says to them what that little ones can
make a difference, That we each bring our own gifts
every situation, that when we look at each other, we
should see what someone has to offer and not discount
them simply because of difference. So I took the traditional
story and I put it in a modern context. We
call that modern folklore, where indigenous or native authors are
revisiting our older teachings and passing them on to new
generations in a way that is fully contemporary, that is
centered on kids just like them who are going to
school and shopping at targeting, going to the ballgames, and
having all the same sort of contemporary life they are,
but also have an understanding and appreciation of their cultures
and traditions that they honor their elders and their ancestors.
Speaker 1: This is every bit what I was talking about in
the beginning, is that you're bringing the past forward. And
so many of the elders have said that it isn't happening,
But you have started something here with Harper Collins that
I hope, in my heart will continue to be an
open door.
Speaker 2: Thank you. I'm honored. I will say it is an
inner tribal creative community that stands with me in pursuit
of this goal. We have a rising generation of storytellers.
If you look at the work of Navajo author Brian
Young and his Heroes and Healer of the Water Monster books,
those are also modern folklore, and they're a wonderful reflection
of both modern Dnay, our Navajo life, friend's life, but
they are also hearkening back to these timeless teachings that
I genuinely believe are just as relevant today, if not
more so. And the more indigenous storytellers we have rising,
the more tribal teachings will be naturally integrated and for
their work. It's not as though these are books that
are not for our kids as well. Right, We're not
just trying to teach the outside world. We're trying to
show our kids they belong in the world a book yep,
and every kid in the storytelling circle that these are
compelling narratives. These are books that they're going to want
to reach for and be excited about and become stronger
and more enthusiastic readers.
Speaker 1: It's books like this that inspires the generations to also
open their eyes to all living things. Because before I
sat down to have this conversation today, I was walking
through this forest in South Charlotte and right there in
front of me was a six point buck just taking
a nap. And it's little things like that that you
take a story like yours, and then you walk through
the everyday world and you realize we're all connected as
a living beast.
Speaker 2: Yes, that is definitely a thing that permeates the story,
and you get that in the connections between the human
characters and the animal characters. But also as they travel
across the continent, they are camping out in the woods,
They're going to small towns and big cities, they are
visiting fishing ponds. They're very much fully integrated into our
larger world. And yet so often I think that we
just are conscious of our immediate physical surroundings, and so
often people are flying over, are driving through without really
getting into the world in its tackle and resonant kind
of way. The kids are wonderful at that right, They
are really creatures of wonder When you see when you
see a five year old or a fifteen year old
experiencing some aspect of nature for the first time, it
is fresh, It is precious and it permeates more deeply
because anytime there's a first in our life, we feel it.
And the book gives every childhood opportunity to have this
journey vicariously looking through the eyes of these young heroes.
Speaker 1: The way that you give personality to Grandpa half Moon's
pick up, the way that it kind of gurgles around,
and how he doesn't freak out because it looks like
there could be some trouble. We're gonna wait till you
get to your cousin's house. We'll take care of it there.
But that relationship between Mail and Ray and Grandpa half Moon,
I love that because that, to me, is the soul
of family.
Speaker 2: It's a very intergenerational kind of story. You know, Grandpa
half Moon is not a character in the background when
we write our stories. We're not trying to get rid
of all of the grown up because those intergenerational ties
are so strong and so deep, and the importance of
the elders is, you know, paramounts in terms of how
the children are brought up. These are our wisdom keepers.
They are also great sources of humor and knowledge, and
Grandpa Halfmon is eager to go on this adventure. He
is not a stereotype. He is a three dimensional person.
He's a veteran, he's a little interested in reconnecting with
his high school sweetheart. He has life of his own,
but the children are very much centered in his heart
and in his day to day existence.
Speaker 1: One of the things that you bring up is you
bring up the connection between the two different nations, and
just to my leftover here is an authentic acoustic and
I just I wish people would understand the importance of
that as well as dream catchers, and they're not what
people think they are. Will you do that in your
stories in the future, to explain the spiritual tools so
that people don't treat him like candy.
Speaker 2: You know, my goal is to see the world through
the eyes of young Native hero Yes. So their value
system for items of cultural importance or sacred and even
importance is contextualized by the way that they have been
raised by their value system. And I think with kids,
especially if I give them something that feels like this
is part of the world and this is how we
process it, They're going to sink more deeply into that
space than anything else I can do. If I show
them the reverence that Melanie and Ray have or back
or when they encounter, you know, misrepresentations of their cultures
out in the world. That's going to permeate more deeply
with kids and teens because they're going to feel what
those young Native heroes are feeling. If they come across
a cigar store Indians, that's gonna come one way. If
they are not grounded in Muscogie Ottawa's seminical Cherokee point
of view, then it is if they really are and
they're seeing that stereotype, but they're seeing it juxtaposed against
these characters who they love and who are funny and
who are very much people of today.
Speaker 1: Yeah, this is going to create conversation and relationships with
with those who are not Indigenous. And the reason why
is because they're going to read this book in their
libraries or in their bookstores and they're and they're going
to say, this is this is mel that this is Ray.
I know these guys they go to my school. I
want to ask questions.
Speaker 2: Yes. The goal here very much for non Native kids
is for them to know fully recognize and appreciate that
we have a past, the president in the future, but
also that we're real human beings. We are not misty
legendary creatures of your We could be your neighbors, We
could be your dungeists. Yeah, you know we're We're We're
we are still here and we always will be.
Speaker 1: Wow. Where can people go to find out more about you,
Cynthia and your circle of authors, because I really want
to promote that.
Speaker 2: My website is Cynthia lticsmith dot com. They can also
go to Harper Collins Harper Kids and look for information
about Heart Drum, which is a native focused imprint of
the publisher and really features on modern day narratives create
authentically created with oop and humor and healing by native people.
Speaker 1: Wow. You got to come back to this show anytime
in the future, Cynthia. The door is always going to
be open for you.
Speaker 2: Madame, my friend. Thank you.
Speaker 1: Well, you have a brilliant day today. Okay, Youtobe