Beeteyihí - February 28, 2024

In February 2024, the SSBMI Language Department and Exhibits & Collections Center hosted a Beeteyihí (Storytime) event where we shared Nisenan and Miwok stories with the SSBMI Tribal Membership. During this event, participants created their own artwork illustrating scenes from the story "May" (Salmon), as told by Tom Cleanso. We created this webpage in order to share audio recordings of Language Department staff reciting the stories, as well as to share participant's artwork and supplementary resources from this event.

You can access materials pertaining to the four stories we shared by following the links below.

Boonohó ehé daak’ábe mi? (Do you want to see artwork?)

In the story "May" (Salmon), Tom Cleanso explains how two brothers transformed into May when they were tossed into the river, causing salmon's meat to gain its red color and causing the river (which was originally still) to flow because of the red flickerbands that they wore.

During this event, participants illustrated scenes from this story as well as artwork inspired by the other stories we shared using colored pencil. Some participants even incorporated stickers into their artwork!

Below, you can find an Artwork Gallery containing some of the amazing illustrations that our Beeteyihí participants created!


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You can find more artwork based on this story from the last Beeteyihí, which we held in November 2023, by clicking here.

Min boonohó ébe mi? (Do you see your artwork?)

If you would like a digital copy of your artwork, please contact the SSBMI Language Department at Language@ssband.org.

Beeteyihí daak’ábe mi? (Do you want to share a story?)

At Beeteyihí (Storytime), we share stories that were originally told by past and contemporary storytellers, and we encourage our audience to participate in the stories and share their own.

For example, we shared cutouts of some of the story characters like Wíṭṭapɨ (Robin) and Pey (Golden Eagle) and asked participants to hold them up when they acted in the story.

After sharing the Miwok story "How Wíṭṭapɨ Got His Red Breast", we discussed how similar stories are shared by other Native people in Central and Northern California (including the Tribe's relations) and asked participants if they had ever heard other stories like this.

If you have a story that you would like to share, or if you would like to know more about our efforts or have any questions, please contact the SSBMI Language Department at language@ssband.org and the SSBMI Exhibits & Collections Center at ecc@ssband.org.

Esak’ahá daak’ábe mi c’aykɨ́? (Do you want to know more?)

At this Beeteyihí, we also shared word searches featuring the Nisenan names of some of the animals and plants that appear in these stories. You can download and print these activity sheets to practice at home:

Level 1 (Easy)

Level 2 (Medium)

Level 3 (Hard)

Kɨɨpetím nisek’é mi! Sitapáy’omís! (We thank you! Take care of yourself!)