Traditional storytelling taught in mentorship program

Julianna Dunn learned as much about her culture as she did about writing when
she signed up for a unique mentorship program offered by the Saskatchewan
Writers' Guild.
But even though her experience wasn't a traditional one, it was exactly what the guild had hoped for when it offered its first mentorship program for Aboriginal people.
"It bridged the gap between me and my culture and my storytelling," said Dunn, a 41-year-old mother from Saskatoon. "I learned a lot."
Amy Nelson-Mile of the guild said last year's first-ever Aboriginal mentorship program went so well, a second is being offered for next year.
Nelson-Mile added the guild has sponsored a writer's mentorship program for the
past decade, but decided an Aboriginal-only program was necessary because of the unique skills that established Aboriginal writers could offer an aspiring writer
with similarly unique aspirations.
"We think that Aboriginal mentors can
offer something to emerging Aboriginal writers that a non-Aboriginal writer
could not offer," she says, adding the guild has the Canada Council to thank for
its decade-long mentorship program.
"Aboriginal writers are going to be aware
of the subtleties of Aboriginal cultures that non-Aboriginals would not be."
Nelson-Mile concedes she and the guild knew that an Aboriginal program
meant it was venturing into uncharted waters, so when she learned about the
content that was being explored by Dunn and her mentor, she was pleased it
veered from the proverbial path the guild was familiar with.
"There is a difference in the content that is being written and also perhaps in the way that it is written," she said.
Dunn, who worked with high-profile Aboriginal writer Richard Wagamese, said the program allowed her to explore her own culture, her past, as well as her ability to write and share her own stories.
After studying to become a teacher, she became a mother and preferred to explore writing and the traditional art of storytelling. She said less attention was paid to the rudimentary aspects of writing, and she chose to explore Aboriginal issues.
"Me and Richard weren't working on grammar and that kind of thing. Instead, we were working on getting me back to that oral tradition. And that was a humungous process. It was a spiritual process," she said.
When she enrolled in the program, she knew she needed an education in
Aboriginal traditions because she wasn't raised on a First Nation and missed out
on a lot of learning about her heritage.
"It was huge because I learned that
the stories were being channelled through the Creator to me," she said.
She quickly learned that it was her own stories, as well as the story of her mother
who suffered abuse while a young student in the notorious residential school
program, that she was moved to share. And it was important to learn how to
appear before a group to tell a story rather than just put prose to paper.
"It was a bit of an education for me to tell a story verbally. And I learned to listen to my intuition a little more and be a little more honest with myself, which I found was the most important thing."
The guild is calling for participants in its second Aboriginal Mentorship program. Any aspiring writer is encouraged to apply, as are any established writers. The mentors receive an honorarium and many apprentice expenses are covered by the program. Further details about the program and application instructions are available on the guild's website at www.skwriter.com.