The Gift of Being Spoken

Lunch with Roger Fernandes at the Thai Bistro
From left: Sarah Phillips, Maureen O’Neill, Lauren Brumbaugh, Angie Hurt, Diane Lobaugh, Roger Fernandes, Sally Yamasaki

By Sally Yamasaki

Roger Fernandes, artist in residence at the Shoreline Historical Museum, took a break from working to have lunch with some volunteers at the Shoreline Historical Museum.

Fernandes has been carving petroglyphic art for a Miyawaki Urban Forest Welcome Rock project entitled, “The Rock Holds the Memories of our People” funded by the Rotary Foundation.

This summer, Fernandes, artist, storyteller, educator, and member of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe has carved images each inspired from local Coast Salish Tribes on a 6’ x 3’ glacial rock.

Those who attended lunch, learned how stories are living entities and in them hold history, philosophy, science and more dating back to the end of the last glacial period (c. 8000 BCE, 10,000 years ago).

“I loved learning that literacy isn't locked within a book. The oral tradition of Native American story telling is meant to be living and changing in order to seek answers both spiritually and scientifically within the current world for which we live,” according to Lauren Brumbaugh.

Roger Fernandes pointing out one of the carvings that represents a story.

Fernandes explained that he learned from one of his teachers that the powerful form of a story is when it is told. When this happens, the moisture of the storyteller’s breath becomes the story, and it gives the story a unique form and comes alive.

“A story is a living thing. I give shape to it; I give life to it; and when the story is alive that means it changes – it means I might tell you a story from like the Maiden in Deception Pass and I would tell you that story and then you hear another person tell it and say—that’s not the way Roger told it…. Well, yeh because every teller is going to tell it a little bit differently. And because the story is alive, it changes too,” shared Fernandes.

When Fernandes was asked, “Why is it important for a story to breathe?” He answered, “It is like us – it needs to breathe so it can live.”

As an example, he then told us about a poem he once wrote.

“I wrote a poem once- I said they took a sword, called a pen, and they captured the word. They took the word and put it in a cell, they called a page; They took the page and they put it in a prison, and they called it a book. And they said it was good.”

Fernandes continued, “I’m not criticizing literacy. Literacy is a powerful tool. But when it becomes all powerful, we have forgotten the other gifts that …. there is a book called ‘the orality of literacy.’”

According to Sarah Phillips, “Having lunch with a master storyteller is an experience. Roger Fernandes is a master storyteller. So, lunch with him was an unforgettable experience.”

The Miyawaki Urban Forest at the Shoreline Historical Museum will be hosting two opportunities to learn from Roger Fernandes.

Saturday, September 28th, 10 AM – 12 Noon

LIFE OF THE FOREST – Storytelling

Roger Fernandes will share the traditional stories of the local Coast Salish Tribes that connect those cultures to the living world around them.

Sunday, December 8th, 3:30 – 5:15 PM

MIYAWAKI FOREST FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY – Welcome Rock Dedication

We will celebration the Miyawaki Forest turning one year old. Fernandes will discuss the inspiration behind the Welcome Rock and highlight some of the stories he carved.

Both are outdoor events that will have activities, tours and refreshments.

More information about the programs here