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Storyteller Depicts Native American Culture, History

Internationally acclaimed storyteller Neeake, granted the title of “Olammapise,” or “truth teller,” by the Shawandasse Nishnabe People, transports audiences back in time to better understand a vibrant culture that still exists today.

Neeake, whose English name is Fred A. Shaw, presents “Stories Old Upon the Land” at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11 at the Remick Heritage Center at Alma College. Tickets are $10 for adults and free for Alma College staff, students and youth 18 and under.

Seating is reserved. Call (989) 463-7304 for ticket information.

Shaw, a native of Zanesville, Ohio, depicts the 1789 era of the Shawnee People in clothing, paint and accouterments. He tells stories about the Shawnee Nation and about the interconnectedness of the world, nature and all people. His stories include history, music, humor, cultural perspectives, words as art, ecology and spirituality.

“The stories are an oral tradition that has been handed down from one generation to the next for centuries,” he says. “They touch all of the disciplines of education and are a powerful way to share the insights of the circle that is life with children and adults.”

In addition to being a featured storyteller at national storytelling celebrations, Shaw has spoken before many elementary, middle and high schools; universities and colleges; wildlife conservation groups; churches and synagogues; historical societies; and museums and foundations.

He was one of 10 American Indian storytellers invited to participate in the first-ever National Native American Indian storytelling festival at Corn Island.

He also has worked with the Cincinnati Zoo for many years in the Wildlife Discovery Days event, which provides wildlife and environmental education for thousands of children. He has spoken on Thane Maynard’s “Ninety Second Naturalist” and other programs on Public Radio.

In addition, Shaw is a Rocky Mountain and Grand Canyon backpack trip leader who shares the natural world with small groups in the wilderness.

Shaw is the author of Brothers of the Wind, which tells the story of two cheetah brothers through text and photography. Proceeds from the book benefit the Angel Fund for cheetah preservation of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens.

Neeake, whose name means “He-Talks-as-He Flies” or the Canada Goose, is a graduate of Ohio University. He holds a master of divinity degree from the Methodist Theological School in Ohio and is the senior pastor of the Oxford United Methodist Church in Oxford, Ohio.

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Brett Seymoure

Brett Seymoure
Graduation: 2009
Major: Biology
From: Paw Paw, Michigan
Interests: Sports, Politics

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