Grand Village of the Natchez Indians is ready once again to host its 29th annual Eleventh Moon Storytelling from 2 – 4 p.m. Saturday in the museum auditorium. The Grand Village is located at 400 Jefferson Davis Blvd.

The event is recommended for ages 7 and up, and light refreshments will be served. Please note admission is free.

Although this storytelling event is only in its 29th year, the tradition dates back long before the written word. Cultures from around the world used storytelling to educate and entertain their people.

In some cultures, the storyteller was highly revered among their people. Today’s fairy tales continue to teach lessons to our children just as much as Sesame Street and other children’s programming. American Indian stories are very much the same. However most of us have never heard these stories before.

Traditionally, the Natchez Indians would tell their tales during harsh winter months when they had more spare time. Eleventh Moon, for which our event is named, is based on the Natchez calendar. For them, the Eleventh Moon was the celebration of Cold Meal. But don’t worry; neither cold grits nor corn meal will be the refreshments. We prefer cookies and lemonade.

This year features some of our favorite regional storytellers, such as Sam Jones, Marianne Raley, Joan McLemore and the Natchez Little Theatre players, as well as students from the Copiah-Lincoln Community College drama class.

These storytellers take time out of their busy schedules to learn knew tales to share with the public. If you are a student who wants to get extra credit for public speaking, we would be happy to hear a tale or two from you. Just remember, all of our tales are based on Native American or nature stories.

The great thing about the stories you will hear is there is something for everyone no matter what you are interested in.

We have romance, mystery, spooky tales and trickster tales. Another great thing about these tales is that they are universal in all cultures. Storytellers question where their tales originated.

Many tales that are acknowledged as being Native American are also African.

As we meet people, we exchange our stories and adapt them to our own style, the Native Americans did the same with their stories.

This year, we are also proud to host the Morgantown Middle School Mask exhibit. So, bring your family or bring a friend. Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy these stories of long ago.

If you would like more information on this event, please call the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians at 601-446-6502.

Becky Martin Anderson is Historian II at Grand Village of the Natchez Indians.