First Voices works with students at reservation high schools and tribal colleges to create digital (video-based) performances of ancestral stories which are published and distributed via a dedicated online portal. The narratives selected for performance range from ancient origin stories to recent colonial-era history.

 

The students work with professional artists (Native and non-Native), tribal elders and storytellers to produce the videos. Stories are presented in the original tribal language to create a rich archive for future generations.

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First Voices is based on a core belief that learning through the arts is critical to young people's development of self-confidence, teamwork and leadership. Through First Voices, participants reconnect with indigenous ways of knowing, as they express ancestral stories within the context of their own lives.

 

Next-level opportunities open up for students as they build both interpersonal and technology-based skills. Through the online publication of their performance videos, First Voices participants build meaningful long-term connections with audiences within their own communities and beyond.

Importantly, completed story videos and related content are integrated into cross-curricular lesson plans for educators at high school and college level. We are currently in discussion with Indian Education for All, an initiative from the Office of Public Instruction in Montana, to ensure that tools and lesson plans follow guidelines mandated by the Montana Constitution.