{"id":33729,"date":"2026-03-03T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T13:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teachmag.com\/?p=33729"},"modified":"2026-03-03T10:33:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T15:33:31","slug":"the-power-of-indigenous-storytelling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teachmag.com\/the-power-of-indigenous-storytelling\/","title":{"rendered":"Adding Truth to Teaching: The Power of Indigenous Storytelling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Willie Poll<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For as long as I can remember, I\u2019ve been inspired by stories\u2014in books and on screen, those told through animal tracks in the dirt and howling coyotes at night, or recited around campfires. Legends shared since time immemorial, family tales that bring the past to the present, contemporary narratives of the here and now. Stories of real places and real cultures, and ones of dragon riders and epic battles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are what inspired me and shaped the person I have become. They encouraged me to reach for the stars and never give up on my dreams; to be humble and kind and to invest in community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My name is Willie Poll (she\/her) and I\u2019m a M\u00e9tis author<\/a> and educator. I am the director of education at the Moose Hide Campaign<\/a>, an Indigenous innovation to end gender-based violence,\u00a0and I\u2019m also a judge for the\u00a02025\u20132026 Kids Write 4 Kids creative challenge<\/a>\u2014a writing competition for youth to tell their own stories.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There wasn\u2019t a time where I didn\u2019t see myself in stories. I was white, blonde with big blue eyes. Kids like me were the main character in all kinds of books and movies when I was growing up, but even from a young age I questioned their authenticity. Surely there were other voices out there, other tales to be told.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I grew up spending most days with my grandparents. My grandpa, who was both Anishinaabe and M\u00e9tis, was somewhat of an old cowboy. Adventures of his horses\u2014Gypsy, Gemini, and Flicka\u2014were told daily, with plenty of photographs to accompany them. My grandpa was the hero of my story, a fearless trick rider with a spirit so gentle it was like he and horses spoke the same language. It wasn\u2019t uncommon for there to be an old western playing on the TV at his house, one that portrayed a very different hero (a white cowboy) and a somewhat familiar villain (the Indians).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My grandpa grew up disconnected from his culture and with an abusive addict father. Sometimes I wonder what he thought, if maybe it was easier to see his own people as the villains, since the only connection he had to his Indigeneity was his dad, who was the family villain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are things he used to say that have always stuck with me, things that are untrue of our people\u2014things he heard from stories told by colonizers. The history he learned was not ours, but theirs. He didn\u2019t live long enough to see authentic Indigenous voices taking over the bookshelves or TV screens. He wasn\u2019t around to hear Indigenous people tell their stories, and didn\u2019t have the chance to learn many of his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wonder what would have happened if he\u2019d seen an accurate version of himself in the stories he enjoyed, if he\u2019d seen the language, the love, and the strength of Indigenous communities. And then I remember that I am seeing it, in real time. I\u2019m watching my nieces and nephew grow up learning their language, singing their songs, and I recognize the pride in their eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my work as an educator, I have been fortunate enough to observe youth voices at the forefront. To hear the stories that inspire them and the ones they create to inspire others. In many Indigenous cultures our children are revered as the most important part of our community. Our future. Being part of supporting and amplifying Indigenous youth has been my greatest mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a judge for Kids Write 4 Kids, I also have the opportunity to meet some of our future storytellers\u2014ones who will bring their own authenticity to what they write. This type of storytelling matters. Indigenous voices are not the only ones that have been silenced, ignored, erased, and written over. Haitian stories, Sudanese stories, Chilean stories, and many, many more. Every one of them is important, and there is room for them all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bringing these diverse stories into your classroom shouldn\u2019t be a debate. They are merely adding truth to your teaching, and there is so much to be learned from someone\u2019s truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this way, Indigenous stories are what put the \u201ctruth\u201d in truth and reconciliation. Not only are such stories a meaningful classroom resource, they are the foundation to a strong Turtle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bringing diverse stories into your classroom shouldn\u2019t be a debate. These stories add truth to your teaching, and there is so much to be learned from someone\u2019s truth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":886,"featured_media":33734,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3150,4222,3108,2915,3122],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-33729","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-diversity","8":"category-featured","9":"category-indigenous-education","10":"category-reading-and-literacy","11":"category-writing"},"yoast_head":"\nAdding Truth to Teaching: The Power of Indigenous Storytelling - TEACH Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Bringing diverse stories into classrooms shouldn\u2019t be a debate. 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