Why do people feel compelled to share stories? Why do we yearn to reach others with our words, beyond necessary communication? Storytelling is a vital facet of human culture and is constantly expanding as we create new ways to communicate through words, art, and tangible experience. The Department of American Indian Studies at the University of Washington hosts an annual literary and storytelling series, Sacred Breath, featuring Indigenous writers and storytellers sharing their craft in the Seattle area. Storytelling offers a spiritual connection, a sharing of sacred breath. Literature, similarly, preserves human experience and ideals. Both forms are durable and transmit power that teaches us how to live. Both storytelling and reading aloud can impact audiences through the power of presence, allowing for the experience of the transfer of sacred breath as audiences are immersed in the experience of being inside stories and works of literature. The series begins with an evening program at Town Hall Seattle featuring Arigon Starr and guest Roger Fernandes. A multitalented, multidisciplinary performer, Arigon Starr promises to deliver a mix of music, reading, art, and storytelling. Arigon Starr is an enrolled member of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma. Her father, Ken Wahpecome (Kickapoo) was a career Navy man and her mother, Ruth (Muscogee (Creek) / Cherokee / Seneca) was a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University. Starr is a storyteller in many mediums including music, comic books, and live theater. Across her many disciplines, she brings bold characters, contemporary perspectives, and the intention of countering negative Indigenous stereotypes. Her work has been highlighted in the publications First American Art and Native Peoples, featured on the national news program PBS News Hour and on the arts blog of the National Endowment for the Arts. Visit Arigon's website to learn more. About Sacred Breath The Department of American Indian Studies at the University of Washington hosts an annual literary and storytelling series. Sacred Breath features Indigenous writers and storytellers sharing their craft in Seattle. Storytelling offers a spiritual connection, a sharing of sacred breath. Literature, similarly, preserves human experience and ideals. Both forms are durable and transmit power that teaches us how to live. Both storytelling and reading aloud can impact audiences through the power of presence, allowing for the experience of the transfer of sacred breath as audiences are immersed in the experience of being inside stories and works of literature.

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