Ressources

Grandmother Stories; Traditional tales of the Anishinabe (audio cassette) by Anne M. Dunn and Maefred Arey. Midwest Traditions, ISBN 1-883953-10-3 $10. Midwest Traditions, PO Box 320, Mt. Horeb, WI 53572 1800736-9189

The other night as we passed a dead raccoon on the road! my husband mused about its markings. Since I had listened to this tape, I could tell him why the raccoon is marked as it is! and why it hunts at night. I could also have told him how the rainbow came to be! and about the homely woman! and the other stories I had heard Dunn and Arey tell.

The reason I could so easily recall the stories is because of the gentle, intimate style of this tape which allows the stories and their lessons to settle. Anne M. Dunn, author of When Beaver Was Great (reviewed elsewhere on this site), is joined on this tape by her mother and daughter. The six stories are told by Anne and her mother, Maefred, while Anne's daughter, Annette, provides the background music of flute and drum.

The interaction between the two tellers, their introductions to the stories! even the occasional coughs or quiet background sounds, all combine to make for an immediate storytelling experience. The music was haunting, and I appreciate its beauty even though my own personal preference is to not have music behind the spoken word.

A few used copies listed on the Internet at very!!!  high prices 2014.

The Second Story Review, Vol 1, No. 1, March 1996