Presented as part of NSN’s 2022 Earth Up Conference
With Eleanor Clement Glass, Roopa Mohan, Linda Yemoto, Nancy Wang, Robert Kickuchi-Yngojo, Tobey Ishii Anderson, Karin Amano
Asian folktales by six Asian American Storytellers highlight the wonder, beauty, and importance of our connection to the natural environment. Stories show negative or careless human actions that can threaten and cause harm and how individual and collective action can restore Nature when we protect and heal our environment together.
A little grey parrot lived in a beautiful forest and loved to fly. When children start a forest fire, she tries valiantly to put it out with meager water drops of water until goddesses turn into golden eagles and help her save the forest.
Eleanor Clement Glass delights children with folktales from around the world as a Volunteer Storyteller at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, a Stagebridge Teaching Artist in Oakland and San Jose Public Schools and on the YOUTUBE Channel Asian American Storytopia. She performed family stories from her Black and Filipina heritage at the 2021 and 2022 National Storytelling Network (NSN) Conferences, Artists Standing Strong Together (ASST), Storytelling Association of California (SAC) programs, and local community venues in the San Francisco Bay Area. Eleanor is an active member of Asian American Storytellers in Unity.
Malik encounters a komodo lizard which results in an everlasting friendship
Ever since her Japanese grandmother said the words “mukashi, mukashi, a long time ago…” Tobey Ishii Anderson has been held captive with the world of stories. As a Peace Corps volunteer and international teacher,she has lived in countries from Europe to Asia. Considered a “Third Culture Kid”,Tobey has had the fortune to gather stories from diverse cultures turning them into adventures for her audience.
This is a braided story about the real and mythical trees from Roopa’s childhood in India. A tale of transformation and its consequences.
Roopa Mohan tells Asian folktales & myths to school groups visiting the Asian Art Museum,SF and personal stories outside. She serves on the Board of Storytelling Association of CA.
What if we could hear what nature is telling us? This is a Japanese folktale about an old man who learns from the animals and trees to restore balance to his community.
Native of Japan, Karin trained in theater before moving to the U.S. She has told stories at schools, festivals, libraries, NSN and Walt Disney World.
Human and forest animals test who is more powerful. In the end, does anyone win?
Eth-Noh-Tec is performer Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo, musician, composer, and performer Nancy Wang, dancer, choreographer. Together they rewrite ancient Asian folktales for tandem telling using stylized movement and gesture, as well as perform contemporary and inspiring Asian American stories. They have received numerous grants for their work, and NSN’s Circle of Excellence and International Story Bridge awards.
Linda Yemoto was an award-winning Park Naturalist with the East Bay Regional Park District for 33 years. She produced the Bay Area Storytelling Festival for over 30 years and served on the National Storytelling Network Board of Directors for six. Since retiring, Linda became a volunteer storyteller and docent at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco where she loves interpreting the art through stories.
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