LITTLE BOSTON — Port Gamble S’Klallam tribal member Ray Ives said there isn’t enough storytelling these days. So he went to the Port Gamble S’Klallam Longhouse Nov. 16 to hear an interwoven program of Native American spirit stories and traditional flute and drum songs.
Che oke’ten, a member of the Saanich First Nation on Vancouver Island, gave a free performance sponsored by the Kitsap Regional Library events program.
“I want to see how [Coast Salish] storytelling compares to this area,” Ives said. He often listens to flute music while he and his family carve together.
Che oke’ten shared his Saanich stories, beginning with how people and animals found a way to work together through a common language. He shared songs on his drum, which means “a family of hearts beating together” in his language, and a wooden flute for the 20-plus crowd.
