Talk Story: Sharing Stories, Sharing Culture is a family literacy program that reaches out to Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN) families and their intergenerational community members. Talk Story celebrates and affirms Asian, Pacific Islander, and American Indian intersectionalities through books, oral traditions, art, and more to provide interactive and enriching experiences. Talk Story grant funding supports library and community organization opportunities to highlight AANHPI and AIAN stories through programs, services, and collection materials.
The following are excerpts from the 2024 Talk Story grant recipients about how they used the grant funds.
The Hoke County Public Library (North Carolina) utilized the funds to celebrate and honor the rich history and culture of the Lumbee Tribe and other Native American communities. A significant portion of the funding was allocated to purchasing materials that were specifically chosen to highlight the history, traditions, and contributions of the Lumbee people and other Indigenous tribes.
In addition to expanding the library’s collection, the funds supported the inaugural Lumbee Heritage Day, an event designed to celebrate and share Lumbee traditions with the community. The event featured Lumbee artisans who demonstrated their crafts, such as intricate beadwork and the creation of pine straw baskets, providing participants with a hands-on experience of these time-honored skills. Attendees had the unique opportunity to engage with the artisans, learn about their techniques, and gain deeper insight into Lumbee heritage.
Through these efforts, the Hoke County Public Library successfully fostered cultural appreciation and strengthened ties between the library and the Lumbee community. The event and resources also served to educate the broader public about the significance of Native American heritage, further promoting diversity and inclusion within the county.
The Canby Public Library (Oregon) used the Talk Story grant funds to host two programs during Native American Heritage Month in November 2024. The first was for adults, titled Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Indigenous Ways of Knowing. Stephanie M. Craig of Kalapuya Weaving presented how we can better serve and protect the land we are on and the peoples that have lived and cultivated this land. Stephanie shared with the audience the history of her Mother’s people, the Kalapuya, and her life as a 7th generation basket weaver and an Oregon Culture Keeper. This presentation was attended by the local community as well as those from surrounding communities and made an impact on all those in attendance. The second program was a Native American Heritage Month story time and craft for families. Picture books written by Native authors were read for the story time which was followed by crafts. The children in attendance made a shaker/rattle using plastic bottles, beans, and rice.
The programs funded by the Talk Story grant have greatly benefited AIAN children and their families and will continue to do so in the future. These programs were designed to educate the community about AIAN voices, stories, traditions, and histories. The adult program on Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Indigenous Ways of Knowing aimed to help non-native individuals understand how our past and present actions impact the land and the people who have cared for it. Stephanie’s presentation was particularly enlightening, serving as a powerful reminder of the lessons we can learn from our history.
Cobb County Public Library (Georgia) celebrated two fabulous events at two different locations celebrating the South Indian Festival, Navratri. Thanks to a generous grant from APALA, we offered two family literacy programs centered around the vibrant Indian festival of Navratri. Patrons enjoyed a colorful doll display that served as a scavenger hunt, crafted their own dolls and rangoli sun catchers, and enjoyed a special bilingual Tamil-English storytime. This storytime was made possible through the library’s partnership with the Marietta Tamil School, whose wonderful teachers brought the stories to life by reading Balu’s Basket by Chitra Soundar and Help! Help! by Sandhya Rao.
Part two at the Vinings library focused on a folk dance called Dandiya. Children and adults, many dressed in traditional Indian clothing, had a wonderful time decorating colorful dandiya sticks, which they later used for the dance. The community expressed gratitude for the opportunity to celebrate their culture and mentioned how they never expected to celebrate Navratri at the library.
Waialua High and Intermediate School (Hawaii) launched a community-centered oral history project designed to honor and preserve the stories of our kūpuna. The project focused on recording personal narratives from elders connected to the historic Waialua Plantation and Sugar Mill, highlighting the diverse cultural heritage that shaped our community. This initiative provided students with the opportunity to build empathy, develop active listening and interviewing skills, and deepen their connection to local history. Kūpuna shared memories of plantation life, including rich discussions about communal living, such as the “Japanese Camp” furo baths. Collective memories helped kūpuna recall details of plantation life.
The Talk Story grant has empowered our school and community to celebrate and preserve the voices of our elders, bridging generations, and enriching cultural understanding. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to share and sustain these invaluable narratives.
