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Lippman teachers spotlighted at conference

Lippman School teachers Burt Medicine Bull (Northern Cheyenne language instructor at Chief Dull Knife College in Montana), Matt Russ, and John Bennett were featured presenters at the conference, which took place June 28 through July 1. They were on hand to demonstrate the digital storytelling project that connects students with members of the Northern Cheyenne tribe.

Lippman and Northern Cheyenne students have developed a cross-cultural relationship over the past three years through on-site visits. Now they can stay connected between visits by sharing stories online. In this way, they are practicing the ancient oral tradition of storytelling through the use of modern digital technology, according to school officials.

To gather stories, Lippman students have used iPads to record interviews with senior citizens in the Center Towers apartment complex located next door to the school. One such interview is shown above.

“We’re at the beginning of gleaning stories from our elders,” Bennett said. “The idea is to post them on the website so that they’re not only available for our students, but also for the Northern Cheyenne students and the general public.”

The goal, he said, is not just to share stories on the site, but to also build in the ability to compare and contrast them.

In addition to stories, visitors to the storytelling website can also find pictures, videos and other information about the Lippman-Northern Cheyenne cultural exchange and partnership, which began three years ago, at www.tdfactory.org/Ben nett/SATN.html.

So far, Lippman students have visited the Northern Cheyenne reservation twice, most recently in May. Northern Cheyenne students have also visited Lippman twice, and plan to return again in October.

This partnership started as a result of a personal relationship Lippman’s Head of School, Sam Chestnut, had with the Northern Cheyenne, according to school officials. His late father, Steven Chestnut, was the tribe’s attorney for more than 40 years and was given a Cheyenne name that translates to “Rises From Clouds.”