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Revisiting the Story-Stick

© Sarah Davis

One of the camp projects regularly assigned in Brownie and Girl Guide troops in the early 1980's was a the "story-stick". Based loosely on a traditional Native Canadian custom ( Although the tribe and geographical area were never elaborated upon, nor can I find an Aboriginal Canadian source for it- perhaps it was a Baden-Powell-invented custom), the project involved painting a walking stick (or, more likely, a cardboard Christmas-wrap tube) with icons representing the key events of our lives, and all the places in which we had lived, organized into a timeline. We would then use these as visual aids in the telling of our personal "stories" to others.

As good as this idea was, incorporating craft time, campfire time and an element of "show-and-tell", the stories it generated were rarely very exciting. Girls talked about the arrival of new siblings and new pets, trips to the dentist and endless school-related events. Occasionally, family tragedies figured on the sticks, and were shyly mentioned around the fire, and many children were eager to tell of trips they had taken with their parents.

However, as any child could see, no matter how this activity was measured, its results came across as woefully pedestrian for something that had been billed as a "campfire storytelling" event.

Years later, the accessibility of detailed folklore resources on the internet and elsewhere has led me to think of what might be a better way to play the "story-stick" game, which would incorporate both personal events and the spirit of the campfire story.

In the revised version, participants would be given a week or two to research their project, and would be asked to supply not only the facts presented on their timelines, but tidbits of folklore related either to their own families or to some of the specific regions in which they had lived. Selections of folk or family lore would then be shared by each of the participants in turn.

Although it will be several months before I can confirm the value of this exercise (extended outdoor storytelling sessions in the winter are a bit much even for most Canadians), I believe that it has the potential to engage even adult audiences, provided that everyone is at least somewhat keen on the research.

Since the goal is to generate some camp-fire scares, I would suggest that regional and family ghost- or beastie- lore be given special attention. What this exercise will demonstrate is that strange folklore and fabled beasties are literally everywhere (whether you find this fact comforting or unsettling is your business). Oh, and if you decide to hike out to a local folkloric site for atmosphere, be sure that your buddies don't throw away the map.

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