Storytelling is teaching. Anytime we hear a story, or read a story in a book, or watch a story unfold in a movie, we are being taught something we must figure out for ourselves. This basic understanding of storytelling has been lost in the modern world that often reduces storytelling to entertainment for children or a primitive way of explaining natural phenomena or human behavior.

There is a type of story told by all cultures around the world in exactly the same way, for it gives the same basic human teaching. This mythic story is called the Hero’s Journey.

The Hero’s Journey is essentially a template on human transformation. It teaches that human transformation is a struggle and that one must be prepared for that struggle to succeed. The power of this story is such that almost all movies are based on its story structure.

It is useful to understand this story as one prepares to take on a job or career. To do this, one must change to a new level of understanding and being. The responsibilities of a job or career challenges anyone to stop doing only what makes them happy and to put the needs of others before their own.

The Hero’s Journey follows a distinct pattern and again, is told in this pattern by cultures world-wide.

The following is the pattern as developed by Carol Pearson in the book, The Hero Within. The archetypes in this sequence are the same individual transforming during the journey; they are not different characters, but the single protagonist changing in the course of the story.

The Orphan

This is the first stage where the hero is an orphan; their parents or people have died or are gone. Or else they feel like an orphan; alone, unloved, or confused. Think of all the literature or movie characters who are orphans. Luke Skywalker from Star Wars, Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, Batman, Simba the lion cub from The Lion King, and even Napoleon Dynamite. And because the orphan is alone and troubled, they ask big questions about their life; Why did my parents die? Why am I alone? Why am I always in trouble? What will I do with my life?

The Wanderer

This next phase has the orphan looking for the answers to their big questions, but they don’t know where the answers are at. They know they can’t sit and wait for the answers to come to them but they don’t know exactly where to go to find them. So they begin to wander, hoping they find the answers somewhere. They go to places they’ve never been before. Harry Potter goes to Hogwarts, a school he’s never heard of before; Simba runs away to the desert because he thinks it is his fault his father died; Dorothy goes to the Land of Oz; Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings heads to Mount Doom, where he’s never been before, to destroy the ring; and Luke Skywalker gets on a spaceship and travels across the universe to help a princess fight a thing called the Evil Empire.

The Caretaker

As the hero wanders they meet people and befriend them, but this is more than just being a friend. This next step is where the hero learns to care more for other people than he cares for himself. He is now the caretaker. In literature and movies we can see this change as when in The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion and invites them to go with her, essentially creating a little family that protects and works for each other. In Star Wars, Luke befriends Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the Wookie, Chewbacca, and they likewise become a family and are willing to die for one another. And in the film Napoleon Dynamite the title character makes friends with Deb and Pedro.

The Warrior

The hero then fights a battle or enters a struggle. We usually associate the hero with this action, the battle, but as we can see the hero must prepare for that battle. The hero doesn’t just walk up and enter the fray; they have taken steps to be ready. The battle can be external or internal. For example, Harry Potter is fighting Lord Voldemort with magic wands on the outside, but on the inside he has another struggle. If he uses dark magic he can be more powerful than Voldemort. Just as Luke Skywalker knows if he turns to the Dark Side he can be more powerful than Darth Vader.

The Magician/Shaman

When the hero finally wins the battle, they are transformed into a new person. They then return to where they started, changed, and with two outcomes. One, they realized they knew the answers to the questions that started the whole journey all along, inside themselves; and two, they bring back a gift to their people. Some Native people have a problem with the term “magician” as it infers trickery. They suggest we use the term “shaman,” which suggests a personal power.

In The Wizard of Oz, after she has destroyed the Wicked Witch of the West, Dorothy is told the slippers she wore throughout the movie had the power to take her home any time. When Dorothy asks why she wasn’t told this before, the answer was, “You would not have believed me.” She had to go through the journey to truly understand. Or Simba realizes he was meant to be exactly like his father and protect his lion pride and the pride lands.

The Elder

There is another important character in the Hero’s journey who is not the hero. Somewhere in the story an elder appears to teach and guide the hero. So in The Lord of the Rings, the elder was Gandalf; in Harry Potter, it was Dumbledore; and in The Lion King, it was Rafiki, the baboon.

Most of the Native people sharing their stories in this curriculum are trying to serve as either the Shaman, as they have completed this part of their Hero’s journey, or an Elder, trying to help others that are on the same path.

Look at the following  quotes from some of the interviews to see how each person is trying to give back or share a wisdom they have learned:

“Acknowledgement and respect are the most important teachings in Native culture. It’s not about beads and feathers. Acknowledgement allows us to touch people…the spirit.” —Johnny Moses

“I feel it’s an important time… especially for the younger generation coming… to hear and be part of that journey… and recognize it is a lifetime journey.” —Judy Bluehorse Skelton

“I thought, ‘Well, that’s why we’re getting educated, to go back and help our communities.” —Don Motanic

“So, one of the lessons people need to learn… you’ve got to come in humble and say I’m willing to learn from you, and you really have to devote yourself to that. Because people have a lot of practical knowledge on how to run things here. You may have a lot of knowledge, but you don’t have a lot of wisdom yet.” —David Lewis

Those are the basics of the Hero’s Journey. Let’s see if it illustrates Karina’s story.

As we look at Karina’s story, we can see the Hero’s Journey in action. She started out as a child who believed she was not capable. Every message she got from school was that she wasn’t smart. She saw herself as an outsider, different, and she even said, “schooling was destructive” to her. She is sure her options are limited.

She goes off to college to continue her athletic dreams and is sure she can’t get good grades. When she is injured, her original plans are lost. She has to adapt and transform.

She meets elders, teachers, counselors, and guides throughout her story. They encourage her and give her direction. One gives her a chance to study sociology if she passes a test, which she does. Another challenges her to go into a field of work she was unfamiliar with because the elder saw her potential. So Karina rises to the challenge.

Through these opportunities, Karina enters the Native communities; both reservation and urban. Her commitment is now to these people in helping them through research. She has given over her quest to the benefit of others. She cares more for them than her own personal goals.

Her battles are external and internal. She fights for the Native communities to help them gain access to resources they need to solve their great problems. Because of her heart-felt commitment and hard work, she is successful. Her internal battle was her belief she couldn’t do it; that she lacked the skills or ability to do these things.

She overcame both.

She continues to serve Native people and help them successfully gain access to needed resources and she realizes she was always a smart, capable, and gifted person. She encourages others now, as her elders encouraged her in her journey.

So in her Hero’s Journey of transformation, there were smaller changes that had to take place before she could move forward. She had to pass smaller tests before she could get to the biggest one.

Read the following traditional story from the Haida people of southeast Alaska and see if it follows the Hero’s Journey pattern. And if it does, were there tests within the test the Hero had to accomplish?

Duk-thul/Dirty Skin

(A Haida North Coast Story)

A long time ago… In a village far to the north there lived four brothers. They were the sons of the village’s head man, and they were all strong and intelligent and handsome.

One day, one of the brothers, for reasons no one knows, decided he wanted to be different than his brothers. He could not be like them anymore.

One day, this brother, dragging his blanket behind him, went to the fire and lay down in the dirt next to the fire, covered himself up with his blanket, and went to sleep; right in the middle of the day while everyone else was working.

The people came up to him and said, “Wake up, lazy one! What are you doing, sleeping while everyone works?” He did not get up. He kept sleeping. No matter what the people said he did not move. So after a while the people stopped talking to him. Now they talked about him. “Let him sleep. He is lazy and good for nothing! Let him sleep his life away. We don’t care anymore. He means nothing to us!”

So he would sleep by the fire day after day. After a time his hair and skin were covered in dirt and soot. His skin was dirty. So the people gave him a new name. They called him “Duk-thul” which means dirty skin.

Unbeknownst to the people, while they were asleep at night, he would arise and go outside. He would run up the mountains. He would lift heavier and heavier rocks and boulders. He would run along the beach in the sand. He would swim for miles. He would bathe in cold water and rub his skin with hemlock boughs. He would listen to the voices of the spirits and they guided him in becoming stronger. Every night he was getting stronger.

Before the sun came up he would go back into the house and lay by the fire, cover himself with his blanket and go to sleep. So when the people arose in the morning they would see him still asleep by the fire. A worthless and lazy good-for-nothing. They did not know he was getting stronger.

One day, the father told the sons he needed them to do an important task. The village was holding a great feast for many tribes and he wanted a special food for the meal. He wanted his sons to hunt for sea lions.

Hunting for sea lions is not a simple task. The sea lions do not live along the beaches, they live on great rock islands in the middle of the ocean. It would take much strength to get there. These islands are hit by great waves that crash upon the rocks. It would be dangerous to try and land upon them. And sea lions are large strong animals and will fight to protect their families. So this hunting trip would be very dangerous. Because their father asked, the brothers obeyed. They would make this dangerous hunt.

The brothers were getting ready all the equipment they would need to make this hunt. They were gathering spears and harpoons, nets and ropes, and floats and bailers. From behind them, from near the fire they heard a loud yawning.”YAH-HUUWHHHHNNN!”  Duk-thul sat up looking at his brothers and rubbing his eyes.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Go back to sleep, lazy one!” they cried. “We are going to hunt sea lions and it is very dangerous hunt!”

“That sounds interesting,” he said. “I’d like to go along.”

“No!” they exclaimed. “It will be dangerous and we don’t need a lazy good-for-nothing going with us.”

“Wait!” the father said. “It might be good for him to go along. Maybe he will learn something.”

The brothers said in a disappointed voice, “All right, Duk-thul. Get ready. You can go with us.”

And so, the brothers carried all the equipment with them to the canoe on the beach. Duk-thul followed, but he only dragged his blanket behind him. When they got to the canoe the brothers loaded it with the gear and got in. Duk-thul got in the back of the canoe, lay down, covered himself with his blanket, and went to sleep.

The brothers paddled the canoe for many miles far into the ocean. They finally got to the home of the sea lions. Great waves crashed upon the rocks. Big bull sea lions watched the canoe approach. This would not be easy.

The first brother said, “Get me close to the rocks so I can jump onto the island!”

So they paddled the canoe close to the island and he stood on the front of the canoe, preparing to jump. But just then a big wave came and crashed over the canoe, sending the brother into the water. They dragged him back into the canoe.

Coughing and sputtering, he gasped, “We had better turn back! It’s too dangerous!”

The second brother said, “Get me close. I know what to do.”

So the other brothers paddled the canoe close to the rocks again. The second brother held onto the prow of the canoe as a big wave crashed over them. He stood up and jumped onto the rocks when another wave hit the rocky shore and swept him into the icy waters. His brothers dragged him back into the canoe.

Coughing and sputtering, “We must turn back!” he cried. “It is too dangerous! One of us might die!”

The third brother said, “Get me close to the rocks. I can do it.”

They paddled the canoe close to the rocks and he held onto the prow as one wave crashed over them. He jumped onto the rocks and held onto one as another wave crashed. He stood up and a great bull sea lion rushed out of the rocks and hit him hard, knocking him back into the water. His brothers dragged him back into the canoe.

He moaned, “I was almost killed! We must turn back now before we are killed!”

Just then from the back of the canoe, they heard the loud yawning. “YAH-HUUWNNNNN!” It was Duk-thul.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Go back to sleep, worthless one!” his brothers yelled. “We are turning back. We were almost killed! It’s too dangerous.”

Duk-thul said, “Let me try.”

The brothers paddled the canoe close to the rocks. Duk-thul held onto the prow of the canoe as a great wave crashed over him. He jumped onto the rocks and held onto a rock as another wave hit him. He stood up and faced the great bull sea lion as it rushed towards him.

He was holding a sealing club in his hand and hit the sea lion across the head, killing it with one blow. Another sea lion bull charged at him, and he killed it with one blow. And then another, and another. His brothers watched in amazement as Duk-thul killed five sea lions in this way.

He turned to them and called, “Bring the canoe here! We have sea lions to take home.”

He lifted up one of the sea lions that weighed hundreds of pounds as though it were nothing.

When the canoe got close, he loaded all the sea lions into the canoe as thought they weighed nothing.

His brothers were amazed. How could this worthless lazy good-for-nothing do all this work? Duk-thul said nothing. He lie in the back of the canoe, covered himself with his blanket, and went to sleep.

When the canoe neared the village, the people saw the canoe approaching, loaded with sea lions. They gathered at the beach and called out, “Great hunters! Great hunters! You bring back food to the people!”

As the brothers beached the canoe they said, “We didn’t do it. Duk-thul did it. He killed the sea lions.”

Everyone looked at Duk-thul for an answer, but he said nothing. He got out of the canoe, went into the longhouse dragging his blanket behind him, lay down by the fire in the dirt, covered himself, and went to sleep.

And so it went on. The people saw Duk-thul every day sleeping in the dirt by the fire, thinking him worthless and lazy. And every night Duk-thul would be running, swimming, bathing, and getting stronger.

One day, the people noticed the mountains were moving closer to the village. A little closer every day. After a time, the people became frightened. If they were not stopped, the mountains might crush the village and kill everyone. Who could save them?

The three brothers said they would stop the mountains. They went out and dug deep trenches, but the mountains rolled over them as thought they were nothing. The brothers chopped down great trees and made a great fence, but the mountains smashed it.

Now the people were very frightened for no one could stop the march of the mountains. The people became panicked and were running around crying and wailing.

From inside the longhouse, they heard that yawning sound. “YAAH-HUUUUN!” It was Duk-thul. He walked out of the house rubbing his eyes.

“What is everyone doing?” he asked.

The villagers told him how the mountains were going to crush the village and that no one could save them. They were packing and abandoning their village.

Duk-thul said, “I will talk to the mountains.”

He went to the mountains and asked, “Why are you coming so near my village? Why do you frighten my people?”

The mountains said, “We are tired of you people and the way you treat the earth! We will push you into the ocean and be rid of you!”

Duk-thul said, “I will stop you!”

He picked up a giant boulder, as though it were nothing, and he threw it into the nearest mountain, splitting the mountain in half. Then, he picked up an even larger rock and threw it into the next mountain, splitting it as well. And then another, and another.

Then he said to the mountains, “If you want to be destroyed, keep coming and I will destroy you. If you want to live in peace, go back to where you belong.”

The mountains were frightened. They had never seen anyone so strong, so they retreated. They went back to where they are today.

The people rushed up to Duk-thul to thank him, but he brushed by them and went back into the house, covered himself with his blanket, and went to sleep.

On another day, the people saw the trees were coming closer to the village. Every day a little closer. The people became worried. If the trees kept coming, they would smash the village, pushing it into the sea. Who could save them?

The three brothers said they would stop the trees. They went out and began to cut the trees down with axes, but every time they cut down a tree, ten would take its place.

The people were now very scared for no one could stop the trees. They ran around in a panic, preparing to abandon the village before it was destroyed.

From inside the house they heard the loud yawning again. “YAAA_HHHUUUUN!” It was Duk-thul.

“Why is everyone making so much noise?” he asked.

“The trees are coming towards our village!” people cried. “They are going to smash the houses and all of us! We must escape now! No one can stop them!”

Duk-thul said, “I will talk to the trees.”

He went to the trees and said, “Why are you coming so near my village? Why do you frighten my people?”

“We are tired of you people and the way you treat the earth!” the trees said. “We will push you into the ocean and be rid of you!”

“You will not!” Duk-thul said to the trees.

He wrapped his arms around a tree and pulled it out of the ground by its roots. He threw that tree into the forest, as though it weighed nothing, and knocked down ten trees. Then he did the same with another tree, knocking down ten more.

Then he said, “If you want to be destroyed, keep coming and I will destroy you! If you want to live in peace, then go back to where you belong.”

The trees were frightened. They had never seen anyone so strong. So they retreated, and went back to where they are today.

The people gathered around Duk-thul to thank him, but he only went into the house, covered himself with his blanket, and went to sleep in the dirt by the fire.

One day, a runner appeared announcing the arrival of a group of strangers. The runner said, “We travel with a giant going all along the coast. Every village we come to, we challenge their strongest man to fight our giant. If your strong man wins, we leave with no problems. But if our giant wins, we can take anything we want from that village. Get ready! The giant will be here within the hour.”

The people were worried. “Who can fight a giant?” they asked. “What if our strong man loses?” The people became frightened.

The three brothers said, “Don’t worry. We can defeat anyone who will threaten our village.”

In a short while, the giant and his group arrived. The giant man was huge, towering over the houses, twice as big as anyone they had ever seen before.

“Where are your strong men?” he bellowed. “Send them to fight me!”

The first brother approached the giant. The giant looked at the brother and laughed. He reached down and, with the flick of a finger, knocked him to the ground.

That brother got up and said, “We cannot defeat this giant. He is too strong!”

The second brother came forward. The giant again laughed and reached down and flicked his finger at the brother, who ducked out of the way. But then the giant hit him with a fist and knocked him across the village.

That brother struggled to his feet and said, “My brother is right! This giant is too strong. We might get killed!”

The third brother walked up to the giant. The giant smirked and flicked his finger. The brother dodged that blow. The giant swung his fist and the brother jumped aside. But then the giant kicked the brother and knocked him into the woods.

That brother staggered back into the village and groaned, “We must give up now! We cannot beat this man. He is too big and strong!”

Just then, the people heard a loud yawning noise from the longhouse. “YAAA_HHHHUUUUN!” Duk-thul walked out of the house dragging his blanket behind him.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

He walked up to the giant.

The giant looked at Duk-thul in disbelief. Duk-thul looked dirty and unkempt, his body and hair covered in soot from the fire and the dirt from the floor.

“This is your strong man? He is small and filthy. I will crush him like a flea!”

The giant flicked his finger, but Duk-thul ducked. The giant swung his fist, but Duk-thul jumped aside. The giant kicked, but Duk-thul leaped away. Then Duk-thul grabbed the giant by his wrist and began to spin him in the air as though he weighed nothing. Duk-thul swung him about for a long time, then threw the giant into the woods where the giant hit a tree and broke his back and died.

The people who traveled with the giant had never seen anyone so strong. They ran away, leaving the village unharmed.

The villagers rushed to Duk-thul to thank him, but he just walked back into the house, lay down by the fire, covered himself with his blanket and went to sleep.

One day a canoe came to the village from the ocean, and in it were strangers no one had ever seen before. The people gathered around the canoe and one of the strangers said, “We hear you have a strong man in this village. We want to talk to him.”

The people ran to the house. “Duk-thul! Duk-thul! There are people here to see you. They wait in a canoe by the beach!”

Duk-thul yawned loudly and got up. He walked to the beach and to the strange canoe. “You wanted to see me?” he asked.

The strangers asked, “Are you the strong man we have heard about?”

Duk-thul said, “Yes, I am.”

They told him to get in the canoe. “There is someone who wants to meet you,” they said. So Duk-thul got into the canoe, lay down in the back, covered himself with his blanket, and went to sleep.

The strangers paddled the canoe out into the ocean. Duk-thul’s people watched the canoe as it traveled. They saw the canoe disappear under the water.

The canoe went a long way to the middle of the ocean. There was a great house at the bottom of the ocean and they stopped before it. Duk-thul got out and went into the house.

In the middle of the great house was a bed, and lying on the bed was an old man. The old man held on his chest a great tree that went out of the house, into the ocean, and up into the sky.

Duk-thul went to the old man. “You wanted to talk to me?” he asked.

The old man looked at him and said, “This tree I hold is the tree that holds up the world. If this tree should fall, the world would be destroyed. I have been holding this tree for a long, long time. I am an old man now and cannot hold it much longer. Strong Man, we are looking for someone to take my place. Duk-thul, will you take my place?”

Without even a thought, Duk-thul said, “Yes, I will.”

And so, they took the tree off of the old man’s chest and he got out of the bed. Duk-thul lay on the bed and they pressed the great tree upon his chest to hold. And so that is where Duk-thul is today, holding up the tree that holds up the world. If the tree should fall, the world would be destroyed.

But Duk-thul is an old man now. He has been holding up the tree for many, many years. And if they asked you to take his place, what would you say?

And that is all.

Story Questions:

• Does this story follow the Hero’s Journey model? Why or why not?
• The element of the story that his people did not know he was always getting stronger and  called him a “worthless, lazy, good-for-nothing” is repeated more than once in the story. Why do you think this is important to this story? Is it important to our own story of transformation?
• Duk-thul had many smaller tests in the story to prove his strength. What are some smaller tests we face as we grow in our lives? In your opinion, what is the purpose of the smaller tests?
• Duk-thul accepted his final challenge/test, without thought, as though he understood it to be his destiny; what he was meant to do. Do you feel you have a destiny? Why or why not?

In her story, Karina Walters shares an incident in her life that could have sent her spiraling, but she was able to deal with it and make decisions to her benefit. She saw herself as a good tennis player and was actually on a nationally ranked college tennis team. She always saw sports as her outlet and she saw herself as a professional tennis player in the future. Then she injured her wrist and had to accept she couldn’t continue on that course. She could have given up and stayed mired in anger and sorrow, but she did something else. She made another plan for her life in sociology. She was resilient.

In his story, Dr. Pewewardy shares the struggle to move forward in higher education as a professor, as well as the challenges he faced in getting a doctorate; a Ph.D. He actually gets to the point where he thinks about discouraging others from following the same path because it is so difficult. But something inside him overcomes these challenges and he recognizes the greater good that will come from his sacrifices.

Life can be like a canoe trip down a river. We will experience rapids, slow currents, and shallows. We must rely on past experiences to help us navigate these difficult places. We must be guided by a plan; that we feel we have control over the journey. We need to stay the course and have trust in our own abilities. We must have companions that help us through those difficult stretches. And lastly, we can pull ashore and rest at times, but we must put our canoe back in the river to complete the journey.

Let’s look at the factors that can lead to being more resilient (exerpted and paraphrased from the American Psychological Association website):

10 Ways to Build Resilience

• • Make connections. Build good relationships with friends and family and accept help from those who care about us. Help others in their times of need
• • Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems. Look to the future and see positive outcomes.
• • Accept change as a part of living. Life is change, and we can adapt and accept. “Grant me the courage to change the things I can change, the serenity to accept those I cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
• • Move toward your goals. Set realistic goals and look for small accomplishments
• • Take decisive actions. Take control and act.
• • Look for opportunities for self-discovery. Look at what you have learned or gained from the experience.
• • Nurture a positive view of yourself. Trust your instincts and ability to solve problems.
• • Keep things in perspective. Avoid blowing things out of proportion.
• • Maintain a hopeful outlook. Expect good things will happen; be optimistic. Try visualizing what you want instead of focusing on fear.
• • Take care of yourself. Do things that you enjoy or relax your mind and body.

Resiliency Questions:

Do you see any of the above listed resiliency factors in Karina’s story?

How many of the resiliency factors can you identify in your own life? Do you feel you can withstand a crisis with these factors in place?

What areas do you feel you need to build up or strengthen to be able to handle a crisis?

Do you think these factors are only relevant for individuals or could they be helpful to families, communities, or tribes? Please explain.

Traditional Native philosophies hold that each individual has a purpose in the world and a power that gives them meaning.

In her interview, Karina Walters seems to move from job opportunity to job opportunity, passing tests as she moves. It is near the end of all these experiences that she sees what she does as her “calling,” the thing she was meant to do. She understood she was meant to do this specialized work for the benefit of Native people. As in the Hero’s Journey, she had to complete the journey—pass the final test—to realize this.

Look at the interview with David Lewis. He studied the history of his multi-tribal background so he could understand his ancestors and their traumatic history, and then link that history to his own story. Even then, he faced an identity struggle.

The following quotes that explain how he felt when he came back to his people and tried to establish his tribal identity:

“A lot of people lost their culture (because of annihilation, forced reservation life, and termination), lost their connection to their history, their family… I’ve heard a lot of the current generation of Indian people are coming back to their tribe and saying, ‘Hey, I don’t know who I am. I’m Indian. I’m a member of the tribe now, but I don’t know who my people are.’ Or sometimes people are saying, ‘I’m related to you. I could come into the tribe, but I don’t have any records of who I am.’”

David needed to find out about his people, but he also had to connect that with who he was and recognize how much was lost that he and his people had to recover to have their tribal identity intact.

This next activity is fairly simple, but in it you will learn how complex you are. You will need a sheet of plain white paper and a pencil.

• This activity asks you to tell people who you are based on how you define yourself. Start with whatever you feel is your primary identity. Write that word in the middle of the page.
• We don’t want a simple list of words. We want a diagram that shows a relationship between the words you will write. Some people make circles around each word and have that circle overlap other circled words showing their connection to one another.
• Some people might identify their main identity as “Father.” Then they might connect that word identity with “Husband,” if that is their second identity. And then “Son,” or “Brother,” or whatever they choose in how they define the roles in their lives. Continue until you have listed all the words/identities that make you who you are.
• Spend some time thinking about the things that you define yourself by and how those words might be visually presented as connected.
• When you are done, look at all the words you have written down. If you were to share this list with someone, would those words be sufficient for them to understand who you are? To get to that point of understanding you would need to tell them stories that explain the meaning of that identity in your life. Can you think of s story for each word that will clarify the meaning of the word to you and why it is important?
• For example if you wrote the identity of “Sister” on your map, the story might be: “I am the oldest sister of three sisters. Because I am the oldest, I have always been given a lot of responsibility in the lives of my younger sisters. Once my youngest sister went to a movie with a bunch of her friends and I…”
• You are now moving from mere word identifiers to stories that explain and give meaning.
• Can you weave all the stories together into one story? Can you tell that story in one sitting?
• Another possible outcome of this activity is to see you can be connected to other people if they list the same word descriptors as you. You and another person might share the word “Left-handed,” and because of this you share the culture of left-handers and have identified common ground for conversations. So sometimes this activity is also called a “co-culture map” as each word you list is a culture that you share with others who use the same word.

“Judge a person for what she is, instead of what she is not.”

Another important step in developing our self-image is to focus on our strengths, not our weaknesses. So much of modern culture seems set up to remind us of our deficiencies and what we cannot do. Even the educational system works that way.

There is a lot of evidence in modern psychology that says if we can change our internal language, one small step at a time, we can change our attitudes towards what we can do.

In her interview, Karina Walters felt that her athlete’s competitive attitude allowed her to face the criticisms and judgments of others, and to fight harder to prove them wrong and to succeed. Without this internal belief she might have accepted whatever they said and given up.

Even if you are not athletic, can you develop the same inner strength?

Read the following quotes from other interviewees. Do they help you understand we must see our strengths in order to succeed?

“Tap into the culture. You may not think you know enough about culture, but the culture is living in you. Tap into your passion, heart.” —Judy Bluehorse Skelton

“Always ask for respect… that inner strength… to be strong and keep trying. Fall down and get up again. Cause there will be many times you are going to fall down, but you have to get up.”
—Johnny Moses

“If a student doesn’t feel they’re the typical forester or engineer, that’s actually a good thing because I think that’s what organizations and companies are starting to look for… because the way society’s working now… it’s not working and I think if you can find talent that… looks at a new way of doing things, it can make things work better.” —Don Motanic

Here is a simple activity that has you look at yourself in terms of your abilities and what you can do. You will need a few pieces of paper and a pencil.

• Write a heading on the left side of all the sheets of paper, My Abilities, and on the right side write My Strengths.
• Under My Abilities, list all the things you can do. List everything you can think of from reading and writing to cooking a poached egg to changing a flat tire. Include things that might not be considered skills, but more like gifts; compassion, kindness, generosity, etc.
• Can you hear a voice in your head telling you this is silly, these things aren’t important? Where do you think that voice comes from and why does it talk that way and interfere?
• When you are done with this list, go to My Strengths and begin to list things you believe you can do so well you can teach others. It might be the same list, but it might be different.
• Did you leave things off the list because you thought they weren’t important? Why did you do that?
• When you have completed both lists, look at them and see all the things you have mastered. You have learned an awful lot in your lifetime be you a teenager or adult or elder.
• Do you think you can learn more things and master them? What would you like to learn? How would you go about learning about them?
• Share the list with people who you feel support you. Ask them what they see and what they have learned about you. 

Whenever we set our path, we must always remember that it will be hard work to stay on and finish our journey. Elders sometimes say, “Nothing worth doing is easy.”

Sometimes we are taken off the path by an illness or accident, like Karina Walters. Sometimes we change our minds because of new experiences or relationships. And sometimes, someone lures us off the path for their reasons, not respecting our goals and choices.

In his interview, David Lewis shares that he could have been discouraged and even quit because there wasn’t a convenient college degree he could link his plans and interests to. “Part of the problem [getting his doctorate/Ph.D.] was, I was going for a different area of Native studies… I created a whole new area. My two subjects [became] decolonizing anthropology, which was a whole new area. No one had ever done them before. So I was doing stuff I had almost no advice for.”

And Don Motanic shares, “Don’t rush, find your own pace. One of the things that I stopped doing was comparing myself to other students, other professionals. Compare yourself against yourself. How can I make myself a little better tomorrow than I was today? And take… one small step at a time.”

Read the following Native story and answer the questions at the end.

The Bird with the Beautiful Song

(A Native story created by students at Wah-we-lute School, Franks Landing, Washington)

A long time ago, in a village on the Pacific Northwest Coast, there lived a young boy.

One day, this boy was awakened by the song of a bird. The song was beautiful and the boy wanted to learn it, but he could hear the bird was beginning to fly away into the forest. He would have to follow it if he wanted to learn that song.

So he packed some food into a pouch and he went out of the house, going into the woods so he could learn that song. Every time he got close enough to hear the song clearly, the bird would fly further away into the forest. So he kept following the trail that would lead him to the bird.

Deep in the forest, he came to a bend in the trail and sitting there was Bear, eating berries. Bear saw the boy and said, “Little boy, why are you in the woods by yourself?”

The boy explained how he was following the bird with the beautiful song so he might learn the song for himself.

Bear said, “Well you are going the right way. I heard a beautiful bird song going by here just a few minutes ago. But, boy, you need to be careful. Coyote is in the woods today and you know he is a trickster. He plays tricks…”

The boy cut Bear off. “Thank you Bear, but I am in a hurry. I cannot lose that bird. I must keep going. And don’t worry, I know all about Coyote.”

The boy rushed off to follow the bird as it flew further into the forest.

So he went further into the woods, but as before, every time he got close the bird would fly further away.

He came to another bend in the trail and there was Deer and her baby fawn eating leaves from a bush near the path. They saw the boy and asked, “Boy, why are you in the woods by yourself?”

As before, he explained how he was following a bird with a beautiful song and how he wanted to learn that song.

Deer said to the boy, “You are close. We heard a beautiful bird song flying by a few minutes ago. But, boy,” they said, “You must be careful. Coyote is in the woods today, and you know he is a big trouble maker.”

The boy said, “Thank you for your warning, but I am in a big hurry. I need to keep moving so I don’t lose the bird. Thank you, but I have heard all about Coyote.”

And so, he kept following the trail, almost getting to the bird; but as before, the bird flying further away.

Then he came to another bend in the trail, and this time do you know who was sitting right in the middle of the trail? It was Coyote.

Coyote saw the boy and said, “Hey little boy, what are you doing in the woods all alone?”

The boy explained about the bird and its beautiful song he wanted to learn.

Coyote said, “Listen to my beautiful song!” And he howled like a coyote really loud, “AAAA-OOOOOOOO!” Coyote looked at the boy and asked, “What about my song? Don’t you think it is beautiful too?”

The boy said, “It is a good song, Coyote, but I want that bird’s song.”

Coyote said, “Boy, what is in that pouch you are carrying?”

“Some food for my travels,” replied the boy.

“Hmmmm…,” Coyote said. “You know what, little boy? I know where that bird is going. I know where he lives. I can take you there. I know a big shortcut. Follow me and we will get there real fast.”

The boy said, “I don’t know, Coyote. I think I should stay on this trail. I am getting closer.”

Coyote said, “What’s wrong, little boy? Don’t you trust me? I really do know a shortcut. Follow me and we’ll get there really fast. Don’t you want to learn that song? I can help you.”

The boy reluctantly said, in a small voice, “Okay, Coyote. I will go your way.”

So Coyote lead the boy off the trail into the woods. They went through bushes and tall grass. They went across muddy ground and over rocks. It was a very hard path, but Coyote kept yelling, “Hurry up, little boy! We are almost there!”

So the boy kept following Coyote, even though he didn’t know where he was now.

One time, he climbed over an old log and fell into the grass behind it. Sitting there was Rabbit.

Rabbit whispered to the boy, “Little boy, why are you in the woods alone and why are you following Coyote?”

The boy explained his story about the bird with the beautiful song and how Coyote was showing him a shortcut to find the bird.

Rabbit said, “Oh, little boy, you should never trust Coyote! He is a trouble…”

The boy cut Rabbit off. “Thank you, Rabbit, for your advice, but I have to hurry. I must keep up with Coyote or I won’t find the bird.” And he got up and ran after Coyote.

Coyote was starting up a big hill and he stopped and waited for the boy to catch up. The boy was gasping for breath.

Coyote said, “Little boy, you are too slow. I can’t keep waiting for you. I know why you are having such a hard time. It’s that pouch you carry. It’s too heavy. Let me carry it, so you can move faster.”

The boy panted, “No, Coyote. This is all the food I have and it’s not that heavy.”

Coyote said, “Yes, it is! That’s why you are so slow. Give it to me and you’ll see how much easier you can travel.”

So the boy reluctantly gave the pouch to Coyote. Coyote grabbed it and ran up and over the hill yelling, “Hurry up, little boy! We are almost there. I’ll meet you on the other side.”

The boy struggled up the hill through tall grass and thorny bushes. He was bruised and cut all over. When he finally got to the top of the hill, Coyote was nowhere in sight.

The boy called out, “Coyote, where are you? Coyote, I can’t see you! Where are you, Coyote?” He called several times, but there was no answer.

Then the boy realized he would not be seeing Coyote again. He knew he would not find that bird and its beautiful song now; he was very sad.

He slowly went back down the hill the way he came. He followed his way back to the trail where he had met Coyote. He slowly trudged back home.

He hadn’t eaten all day, but he wasn’t hungry for he was too sad. But he knew he had learned an important lesson. Now he really knew about Coyote, and he would never listen to him again.

And that is all.

Story Questions:

• In this story, the boy was taken off the path he had identified for himself. How did this happen?
• The boy knew Coyote was a trickster, but he dealt with him anyway. Why didn’t he listen to the warnings of the animals he met? Can you imagine someone advising or warning you and you not listening?
• What should the boy have said to Coyote when he was told about a special shortcut?
• Staying on the original path was frustrating—the bird kept flying away—but is it safe to believe there is a shortcut or an easier way?

There is a type of story told by all cultures around the world in exactly the same way; for it gives the same basic human teaching. This mythic story is called the Hero’s Journey. The Hero’s Journey is essentially a template for human transformation. It teaches that human transformation is a struggle and that one must be prepared for that struggle to succeed. The power of this story is such that almost all movies are based on its story structure.

The Hero’s Journey follows a distinct pattern and, again, is told in this pattern by cultures around the world. The following is the pattern as developed by Carol Pearson in the book, The Hero Within. The archetypes in this sequence are the same individual transforming during the journey; they are not different characters, but the single protagonist changing in the course of the story.

The Orphan

This is the first stage where the hero is an orphan; their parents or people have died or are gone. Or else they feel like an orphan; alone, unloved, or confused. Think of all the literature or movie characters who are orphans. Luke Skywalker from Star Wars, Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, Batman, Simba, the lion cub from The Lion King, and even Napoleon Dynamite. And because the orphan is alone and troubled, they ask big questions about their life: Why did my parents die? Why am I alone? Why am I always in trouble? What will I do with my life?

The Wanderer

This next phase has the orphan looking for the answers to their big questions, but they don’t know where the answers are at. They know they can’t sit and wait for the answers to come to them, but they don’t know exactly where to go to find them. So they begin to wander, hoping they find the answers somewhere. They go to places they’ve never been before. Harry Potter goes to Hogwarts, a school he’s never heard of before; Simba runs away to the desert because he thinks it is his fault his father died; Dorothy goes to the Land of Oz; Frodo Baggins, in The Lord of the Rings, heads to Mount Doom, where he’s never been before, to destroy the ring; and Luke Skywalker gets on a spaceship and travels across the universe to help a princess fight a thing called the Evil Empire.

The Caretaker

As the hero wanders, they meet people and befriend them; but this is more than just being a friend. This next step is where the hero learns to care more for other people than he cares for himself. He is now the caretaker. In literature and movies, we can see this change as when in The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, and invites them to go with her; essentially creating a little family that protects and works for each other. In Star Wars, Luke befriends Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the Wookie, Chewbacca, and they, likewise, become a family and are willing to die for one another. And in the film Napoleon Dynamite the title character makes friends with Deb and Pedro.

The Warrior

The hero then fights a battle or enters a struggle. We usually associate the hero with this action, the battle, but as we can see the hero must prepare for that battle. The hero doesn’t just walk up and enter the fray; they have taken steps to be ready. The battle can be external or internal. For example, Harry Potter is fighting Lord Voldemort with magic wands on the outside, but on the inside, he has another struggle. If he uses dark magic, he can be more powerful than Voldemort. And Luke Skywalker knows if he turns to the Dark Side, he can be more powerful than Darth Vader while he battles to defeat Darth and the Evil Empire.

The Magician/Shaman

When the hero finally wins the battle, they are transformed into a new person. They then return to where they started, changed, and with two outcomes. One, they realized they knew the answers to the questions that started the whole journey all along, inside themselves; and two, they bring back a gift to their people. Some Native people have a problem with the term “magician” as it infers trickery. They suggest we use the term “shaman,” which suggests a personal power. In The Wizard of Oz, after she has destroyed the Wicked Witch of the West, Dorothy is told that the slippers she wore throughout the movie had the power to take her home, any time. When Dorothy asks why she wasn’t told this before, the answer was, “You would not have believed me.” She had to go through the journey to truly understand. Or Simba realizes he was meant to be exactly like his father and protect his lion pride and the pride lands.

There is another important character in the Hero’s journey who is not the hero. Somewhere in the story an Elder appears to teach and guide the hero. So in The Lord of the Rings, the elder was Gandalf; in Harry Potter it was Dumbledore; and in The Lion King, it was Rafiki, the baboon.

These are the basics of the Hero’s Journey.

Below are 6 questions to answer honestly with a friend, family member, counselor, or Elder. These questions will guide you to learn more about how the Hero’s Journey Story and can help you understand more about yourself in relation to others.

1. Orphan: Can you identify a time in your life that you felt alone or misunderstood?
2. Wanderer: Have you had a time in your life that you were searching for answers?
3. Caretaker:  Have you ever had one person that became important to you?
4. Warrior: Have you ever been willing to fight for what you believe in?
5. Magician/Shaman: Have you ever helped someone else with your knowledge or skills?
6. Elders: Do you know any Elders who you respect?

The American Psychological Association identifies 10 ways to build resilience. These include:

1. Make connections. Build good relationships with friends and family and accept help from those who care about us. Help others in their times of need.
2. Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems. Look to the future and see positive outcomes.
3. Accept change as a part of living. Life is change, and we can adapt and accept. “Grant me the courage to change the things I can change, the serenity to accept those I cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
4. Move toward your goals. Set realistic goals and look for small accomplishments.
5. Take decisive actions. Take control and act.
6. Look for opportunities for self-discovery. Look at what you have learned or gained from the experience.
7. Nurture a positive view of yourself. Trust your instincts and ability to solve problems.
8. Keep things in perspective. Avoid blowing things out of proportion.
9. Maintain a hopeful outlook. Expect good things will happen; be optimistic. Try visualizing what you want instead of focusing on fear.
10. Take care of yourself. Do things that you enjoy or relax your mind and body.

Bringing these 10 aspects of building resilience together with the Hero’s Journey provides greater understanding our life path and the choices we can make towards career goals. The orphan asks questions and searches through wandering. When wandering and searching, the discovery of people who care is the first step in making relations. Resilience occurs in developing supportive relations, accepting change, and establishing opportunities for self-discovery. Perhaps the greatest resiliency occurs when the individual enters the Warrior aspect of the Hero’s Journey. It is in this phase that a person takes decisive actions toward a goal.

Please refer to the Elder Reviews included with these lessons to answer the following questions with a friend, family member, counselor, or Elder.

1. Resiliency

a.  Do you see any of the above listed resiliency factors in the Elder’s stories presented?

b.  How many of the resiliency factors can you identify in your own life?

c.  Do you feel you can withstand a crisis with these factors in place?

d.  What areas do you feel you need to build up or strengthen to be able to handle a crisis?

e.  Do you think these factors are only relevant for individuals, or could they be helpful to families, communities, or tribes?

2. Hero’s Journey

a.  John Spence identified “running away from caseworkers,” and then, becoming a caseworker when he became an adult. Please explain why this might have occurred.

b.  Kevin Goodluck identifies mentors as very important. When reviewing his life story, please identify important mentors and people that may have served to support his development of relationships and career path. (Caretaker)

c.  Frank Alby demonstrates significant aspects of each of the phases of the Hero’s Journey. He shares his learning of his cultural and spiritual roots later in life and through various aspects of his career choice. Please explain by using the five stages of the Hero’s Journey.

d.  Marc Anderson moved away from Oklahoma and his people when he was a small child. Please explain how his wandering helped him develop a career that helps his people.

e.  Ben Rhodd advised not to compromise one’s values; not to compromise your self-respect. He speaks of that which a person needs to do in the best way possible to bring to the betterment of one’s people… for the generations to follow this betterment. What does he mean?

f.  Marilyn Balluta identified two issues she was very concerned about: the negative effects of alcohol, and the loss of her own language. She demonstrates becoming the Warrior in the Hero’s Journey as a result of these concerns. How does she do this in her work?

The following chart outlines our Elder’s stories with particular roles, mentors, and life experiences that influenced and helped support the development of themselves as people and in defining a career path. Please review and identify the purpose that each role serves. Kevin Goodluck is completed as an example. The last line is left blank for you to complete an example about yourself. Please discuss with a counselor, friend, family member, or elder.

Another important step in developing our self-image is to focus on our strengths, not our weaknesses. So much of modern culture seems set up to remind us of our deficiencies and what we cannot do. Even the educational system works that way.

In this exercise, let’s explore the positive strengths of our story tellers and determine how the experiences of the Hero’s Journey influenced the ability to create affirmations of strength. Please review and identify the purpose that each role serves. John Spence is completed as an example. The last line is left blank for you to complete an example about yourself. Please discuss with a counselor, friend, family member, or elder.

Staying on the path is really the goal. We may not always know exactly what our career goals are nor will we always know the exact answer to a question. Our Elders have always helped us to understand that the road can be a hard path, yet the experiences strengthen our understanding.

In the final aspect of the Hero’s Journey, there is a great transformation with wisdom and gifts brought back to the people. Please review the following statements of our Elders and share with a friend, family member, counselor, or elder, your thoughts of how these statements pertain to yourself.