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A purist of the old school, Native American Storyteller Dayton Edmonds
comes from a long line of tribal storytellers and prefers working with live
audiences in the round. A gifted artist, sculptor and printmaker, he began
studying stories with his grandparents, who taught him the trials, wisdom and
humor of the Hasinai people of the Caddo nation, once natives of Louisiana,
Arkansas and Texas until they were removed to Oklahoma in the 1830s. His
grandfathers were priests of the peyote religion who taught him stories of
nature and the power of patient observation; his father was both artist and
storyteller. Dayton helps to preserve his people's ancient traditions as
farmers, moundbuilders, healers, teachers and storytellers by honoring and
relating their stories. At a camp on Puget Sound, Washington, on the
Olympic Peninsula, he was initiated into the sacred art of the storykeeper in
1979, when he received the wing feather of an eagle and his
first story about his experience with nature. The feather is still in his
keeping as a reminder of his responsibility as the guardian of the sacred story.
Dayton travels extensively to tell and listen to the stories of
others. He has applied his skills in numerous venues, including
gatherings, audio and videotape and two films, and publishes frequently in Orientation,
a Methodist magazine for students entering college. Among his memorable
performances and lecture sites are Union College, John Carroll University,
Central State College, Pan-American University, Wenatchee Valley College,
University of Puget Sound, University of the Virgin Islands, Lewis and Clark
College, Washington State University and Linfield College. He applies
artistic forms to storytelling, which he weaves with thought-provoking images to
give voice to the voiceless. He explains in his resume, "As an
artist, I seek to give a perspective from a different part of life's
circle." His formal schooling includes music education in
Jacksonville, Texas; business education in San Francisco, California; and
theater and art education and internship in Ashland, Oregon. He performs
for churches, schools, fairs and festivals, museums, nursing homes, camps,
community groups and libraries. Some of
Dayton's stories are available on Cassette and CD:
BRAND NEW, THE LATEST CD!!
 
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Cassette - A
Storyteller's Story - 66:15 minutes run time. Stories: Gift of Music,
Grandmother Turtle, Sky Blanket, Coyote and Another One, Gift of Fire,
Witch Women, Two Hunters, A Story Teller's Story $10
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Compact Disk - A
Storyteller's Story - 66:15 minutes run time. Stories: Gift of Music,
Grandmother Turtle, Sky Blanket, Coyote and Another One, Gift of Fire,
Witch Women, Two Hunters, A Story Teller's Story $16
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