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Schools

Master Storyteller Dovie Thomason

Throughout the month of November, Loudoun County Public Library recognizes Native American Heritage Month by celebrating the contributions and culture of the country’s native heritage. Dovie Thomason, award-winning storyteller, recording artist and author whose work reflects the traditions of her Plains Indian culture, will visit all branches of Loudoun County Public Library from November 3 through November 12.

Dovie Thomason is recognized internationally for her ability to take her listeners back to the “timeless place” that she first “visited” as a child, hearing old Indian stories from her Kiowa Apache and Lakota relatives, especially her Grandma Dovie and her father. From their voices, she first heard the voices of the Animal People and began to learn the lessons they had to teach her. For these were teaching stories that took the place of punishment or scolding, showing her the values that her people respect and wanted to pass on to her.

Her love of stories and culture set her on a path to listen and learn and share the stories – to give people a clearer understanding of the often misunderstood, often invisible, cultures of the First Nations of North America. The product of a mixed background that is urban Chicago and rural Texas, internet and ancient teachers, elders’ teachings and university classrooms – Dovie began telling stories publicly while teaching literature and writing at an urban high school in Cleveland. She began telling those first-heard old Indian stories that could become a blueprint for a personal value system.

In the twenty years since then, Dovie has shared stories throughout North America and overseas. She has been a featured teller at major national and international festivals. As a storyteller, teacher, lecturer and author, Dovie establishes a rapport and bond with audiences of all ages, creating a climate where laughter, learning and respect come together. She gently dispels false images of the First Nations People of North America, replacing them with traditional stories. Her storytelling both transmits the oral tradition of Native Americans and transforms it for today’s world. She is widely acclaimed and a winner of numerous awards.

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