We are still here – stories of the Tinggian

In Abra, a province of the northern Philippines, members of several indigenous communities – collectively called the Tinggian – are fighting to protect their histories. Listen to the stories of an elder charged with upholding a centuries-old peace pact; a pastor whose ancestors fought as revolutionaries; a mayor who evaded assassination to build a school in his hometown; and a weaver who’s made it her mission to revive a tradition of ritual and weaving.

Producer: Ethan Chua

Featuring:
Elder Bansilan Sawadan
Elder Johnny Guinaban
Pastor Ruben
Elder Norma Mina

With thanks to:
Ate Minda Guinaban
Raffy Tejero
The Center for Community Transformation (CCT)
My parents, Ronald and Anabelle Chua

Music
Podington Bear


Una Isu: a Ñuu Savi warrior resisting through hip hop

As indigenous people from Mexico migrate to California, their languages and cultures are threatened. One indigenous trilingual rapper based in Fresno is fighting back.

“We are taught that we’re not valuable, we are taught that we have no history, we are ignorant, we don’t have richness of culture…. I’m trying to turn everything around.”

Miguel Villegas Ventura came to the US at age 7 speaking only Mixteco, an indigenous language spoken by the Ñuu Savi nation in the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Guerrero and Puebla. He came of age in Fresno, California, amidst poverty, bullying and the constant pressure to hide his roots.

But when Miguel learned the history of Una Isu, a 12th century Mixteco warrior, everything changed.

Today Miguel demands respect and dignity through trilingual hip hop. Like Una Isu, he seeks to unite indigenous Mexicans who have found a new home in the United States.

Producer: Jackie Botts

Featuring voices of Miguel Villegas, Leoncio Vasquez and Irma Luna

Music:
“Mixteco es un Lenguaje” by Una Isu
“Intro [Prod. Esteban]” by Una Isu
“Quisieron [Prod. Esteban]” by Una Isu
“Se que avanzare (Con Mixteko) [Prod. Starbeats]” by Una Isu
“Soñadores [Prod. Fenix]” by Una Isu
“Cinco años (Con Mixteko) [Prod. Guerrero]” by Una Isu
“Asi quiero sanar [Prod. N3w Lment]” by Una Isu
“Pop Song” by Johnny Ripper
“Lamentos en Aula Remix” by Toiletrolltube
“If You Should Lose Me” by Lil Rob
“Summer Nights” by Lil Rob

Una Isu complete music at https://soundcloud.com/miguel-villegas-29


No hay pelo malo

This podcast explores the burgeoning natural hair movement in the Dominican Republic, where the vast majority of women prefer to straighten their hair. In doing so, it explores the intersections of race, gender, and history in the country’s capital.

Producer: Alyssa Vann

Music: All music recorded in the plaza in the Colonial District of Santo Domingo, or in salons.


Sandbranch: A Deep-rooted Community Fights for Water

Sandbranch is a community outside of Dallas that hasn’t had running water or well water for decades, but the residents refuse to leave.

Founded by former slaves, it used to be a thriving town of over 500 people. In the 1980s, its wells were contaminated. The residents have been fighting for running water ever since. Now, led by a pastor, an environmental lawyer, and past and present residents of the community, Sandbranch is on the brink of change.

Producer: Claudia Heymach

Featuring: Eugene Keahey, Mary Nash, John Wiley Price, Mark McPherson, Ivory Hall, Chess Jones, and the choir of Mt Zion baptist church

Special Thanks: Carol Francois, Clay Jenkins, Edward Shore, the residents of Sandbranch, Catherine Girardeau, Jackson Roach, and Jake Warga

Sounds: Slow Sad Tones by TJ Mothy and Wind Howl 2 by swiftoid


Ghost Temples: The Spirit of Taiwan

Some people pray to gods, but other people pray to ghosts. In this story, Katie Lan explores the temples and folk religion in Taiwan, where her parents and the rest of her family is from. Here, she explores ghost temples and even learns to pray to a dog?

Producer: Katie Lan

Music: 晶晶 1969 鄧麗君


An Evening with Rebecca Skloot and members of the Henrietta Lacks Family

Skloot and Lacks Family Poster

Thursday, April 19, 2018 
7:30pm
CEMEX Auditorium
Tickets required

Join us for an evening with both Rebecca Skloot and members of the Lacks family to discuss the story of Henrietta Lacks, the subject of Skloot’s best-selling book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

Seating is limited. Tickets went on sale for Stanford students and the Stanford community Monday, Jan 29 at noon, and and will go on sale for the general public Wednesday, Jan 31 at noon. Reserve a ticket here.

The event is sponsored by the Stanford Storytelling Project, Stanford Continuing Studies, the Center for Biomedical Ethics, and the Medicine & the Muse Program in Medical Humanities & the Arts.


StoryNight, Fall 2017

StoryNight Poster

Wednesday, December 6, 2017
7pm and 9pm
Elliott Program Center
Free and open to the public. RSVP on Facebook.

Ever wondered what incredible stories your peers might have?
Or what lead them to where they are at now?

Join us for an unforgettable evening of live storytelling on Wednesday December 6th at the Elliott Program Center! Students will perform stories they’ve developed throughout the quarter in the course StoryCraft, taught by TAPS faculty and improv guru Dan Klein and director Michelle Darby.

There are two shows, one at 7pm and another at 9pm (each one hour long), featuring different students. Come to both if you can!

StoryNight is free and open to the public. Come early: hot chocolate and chai will be served before the performance!


Conversations (Immigrating, ep. 2)

Immigrating is a conversation that happens across borders, generations, and versions of oneself. Grace and Justin talk across political differences. Unknown workers who forged the Transcontinental Railroad receive a new voice. Solmaz writes poetry to orient herself in the world. And Frankie and Francisco reflect on growing up in a new place.

This is part two of a two-part series. Listen to part one.

Host: Cathy Wong
Producers:​​ ​Carissa​ ​Cirelli,​ ​Noelle​ ​Chow,​ ​Jett​ ​Hayward,​ ​An-Li​ ​Herring,​ ​Julia​ ​Ingram,​ ​Louis​ ​Lafair,​ ​Rosie LaPuma,​ ​Yue​ ​Li,​ ​Jenny​ ​March,​ ​Kate​ ​Nelson,​ ​Jackson​ ​Roach,​ ​Helvia​ ​Taina,​ ​Melina​ ​Walling,​ ​Jake​ ​Warga, Eileen​ ​Williams,​ ​Cathy​ ​Wong
Show​ ​Music:​​ ​​johnny_ripper
Release date: 29 November 2017


Story 4: Grace and Justin

Grace and Justin send each other letters.

Producers:​​ ​Cathy​ ​Wong and ​Kate​ ​Nelson
Featuring:​​ ​Justin​ ​Hsuan and ​Grace
Music: “When in the West,” “Sage the Hunter,” and “Drone Pine” by Blue Dot Sessions

Image via Flickr

Story 5: Chinese Railroad Workers

The​ ​Central​ ​Pacific​ ​Railroad​ ​was​ ​completed​ ​in​ ​1869.​ ​150​ ​years​ ​later,​ ​we’re​ ​still​ ​searching for​ ​the​ ​stories​ ​of​ ​the​ ​people​ ​who​ ​laid​ ​out​ ​the​ ​tracks.

Producer:​ ​​Yue​ ​Li
Featuring:​​ ​Hilton​ ​Obenzinger,​ ​Barre​ ​Fong,​ ​Gordon​ ​Chang
Music: “Everything Ends Here” by Johnny Ripper; “More Weather,” “Waterbourne,” and “The Summit” by Blue Dot Sessions

Image via Wikimedia

Story 6: Solmaz

Solmaz​ ​Sharif​ ​wants​ ​to​ ​have​ ​the​ ​conversation​ ​we’re​ ​avoiding.

Producers:​​ ​Jackson​ ​Roach and Jett​ ​Hayward
Featuring:​​ ​Solmaz​ ​Sharif
Music: “c” and “m” by Gallery Six; “Krankenwagen im Stau” by rui; “Upward” and “It Moves Like A 500 Year Old Process” by junior85

Image via Flickr

Story 7: Frankie and Francisco

After​ ​immigrating​ ​from​ ​Mexico,​ ​Francisco​ ​Preciado​ ​Sr.​ ​gets​ ​a​ ​job​ ​as​ ​a​ ​groundskeeper​ ​at​ ​Stanford University.​ ​When​ ​his​ ​son,​ ​Francisco​ ​Preciado​ ​Jr.,​ ​applies​ ​to​ ​Stanford,​ ​they​ ​learn​ ​together​ ​what​ ​it​ ​means to​ ​carry​ ​on​ ​a​ ​family​ ​legacy​ ​in​ ​a​ ​new​ ​country.

Producers:​​ ​Louis​ ​Lafair and​ ​Melina​ ​Walling
Featuring:​​ ​Francisco​ ​Preciado​ ​Sr.​ ​and​ ​Francisco​ ​Preciado​ ​Jr.
Music: “An opener” by Bitbasic, “motion (johnny_ripper remix)” by noah, “Selbstheilend” by rui, “Pomp and Circumstance” by Edward Elgar and Miguel Flores

Image courtesy of Francisco Preciado Jr.


Crossings (Immigrating, ep. 1)

We hear a lot about immigrants. In this episode, we hear from immigrants—not as statistics, but as individual human beings crossing borders. Oscar gets deported and tries to return home. Maddie comes to terms with her family relationships. And Nisrin enters the U.S. from Sudan after the first travel ban takes effect.

In this episode, stories of crossing. This is part one of a two part series. Listen to part two.

Host: Noelle Chow
Producers:​​ ​Carissa​ ​Cirelli,​ ​Noelle​ ​Chow,​ ​Jett​ ​Hayward,​ ​An-Li​ ​Herring,​ ​Julia​ ​Ingram,​ ​Louis​ ​Lafair,​ ​Rosie LaPuma,​ ​Yue​ ​Li,​ ​Jenny​ ​March,​ ​Kate​ ​Nelson,​ ​Jackson​ ​Roach,​ ​Helvia​ ​Taina,​ ​Melina​ ​Walling,​ ​Jake​ ​Warga, Eileen​ ​Williams,​ ​Cathy​ ​Wong
Show​ ​Music:​​ ​​johnny_ripper
Release date: 29 November 2017


Story 1: Oscar

Oscar​ ​gets​ ​deported.​ ​He’s​ ​determined​ ​to​ ​come​ ​back,​ ​no​ ​matter​ ​what.

Producers:​​ ​Kate​ ​Nelson,​ ​Carissa​ ​Cirelli,​ ​and​ ​Jackson​ ​Roach
Featuring:​​ ​Oscar
Music: “Delican’t”​ by ​Podington​ ​Bear​, “Door​ ​knock” by ​​taylorsyoung@gmail.com​​

Image via Flickr

Story 2: Maddie

Maddie​ ​searches​ ​for​ ​the​ ​formula​ ​to​ ​be​ ​an​ ​American.

Producers:​ ​​Kate​ ​Nelson,​ ​Carissa​ ​Cirelli, and Jackson Roach
Featuring:​​ ​Madeleine​ ​Han
Music: “Fater​ ​Lee”​ by Black​ ​Ant, “James​ ​p​. ​funk​ ​2″​ by ​Black​ ​Ant, “No​ ​sudden​ ​movements” by Rui, “i’m​ ​not​ ​here” by johnny_ripper, “dan1​”​ by ​junior85

Image via Pixabay

Story 3: Nisrin

On January 27, 2017, the first travel ban takes effect. And then Nisrin lands at JFK.

Producers: Helvia Taina, An-Li Herring, Eileen Williams, and Rosie La Puma
Featuring: Nisrin Elamin Abdelrahman
Music: “80’s Interlude” by Fanas; “Theme 4,” “Sleep,” “Intermission,” “In a Dream,” and “data” by johnny_ripper

Image via Wikimedia

This story was first published on Soundings.