UNITY — Students and staff at St. Peter’s School were eager to welcome a special guest to their school on Feb. 6 for Saskatchewan Indigenous Storytelling Month, with support from the Wheatland Regional Library.
Bringing her musical talents and generational storytelling, Lily Naytowhow spent the afternoon telling the story of Turtle Island and the Indigenous little people. She also sang a couple of songs about the beauty of the world and horses in the Cree language.
Naytowhow has been singing for many years, starting as a backup singer for her mother, Violet. During a performance, the backup singer was unexpectedly pushed onto centre stage to showcase her own voice. Naytowhow focused on her music for a number of years before taking a hiatus to pursue a degree in archaeology, after which she reconnected with the music scene.
Storytelling, however, is still relatively new for the young Indigenous woman. Through her work at the Sturgeon Lake First Nation Healing Lodge, Naytowhow works alongside many of the community’s elders, who often share the history and heritage of Sturgeon Lake First Nation. Over the past two years, she has committed herself to apprenticing as an Indigenous storyteller under her uncle, Joseph Naytowhow, an award-winning singer, songwriter, storyteller and actor.
As Naytowhow spoke to the students, many of them had questions about the stories she shared.
“I love the feedback from the children, seeing the adults get into it, the questions and the interactions. I like to make people think and feel good. Seeing the big eyes from little kids when telling a story is really exciting for me,” said the artist.
The presentation concluded with a round dance involving all staff and students.
Naytowhow continues to release her music, which is available on Spotify and Apple Music, with plans to record music in Cree in the coming year. She will also be part of the gospel show on Feb. 22 during the Prince Albert Winter Festival.
