Though Anne Shimojima and Dovie Thomason come from extremely different backgrounds, there is a common thread between the stories they tell.  Both have stories that reflect uncomfortable times in American history, and both are on a subject matter that is not frequented by school textbooks or media coverage.  Even though the war may be over and the wild west tamed, the damage to those oppressed during these times is something that cannot be undone, and should not be understated.  The tendency is to improve upon the past by ignoring it and moving on, but doing so creates a divide that is not easily fixed.  These stories are about reconciling the past, in the hope that it may lead to a better future for us all.

The story begins in 1887, eleven years after the battle of the Little Big Horn.  The international premiere of “America’s National Entertainment”, the Wild West by Buffalo Bill Cody took America by storm, cementing Buffalo Bill Cody as the most famous person of his day.  The audiences perceived his portrayal of the west to be accurate, despite the fact that hardly any of it was.  His dramatization attracted millions, and affect the perception of history all the way to the present day.

Dovie Thomason is a renowned storyteller who has been featured at numerous global events, including the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and festivals from Tennessee to Estonia.  She has been a traveler her whole life, and draws on her breadth of experience, as well as the teaching of her elders she knew when she was growing up in the stories she tells.  Dovie’s stories do not simply recount history, but rather use her own experience mixed with tradition, and in doing so creates a storytelling style that is unique to her.  Her stories have influenced the lives of many, and have earned her international acclaim.  She has received the National Storytelling Network’s Circle of Excellence Award and the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers Traditional Storyteller Award.

The incarceration of millions of Japanese Americans during WWII was time that is often overshadowed in American history.  But for some, such as Anne Shimojima’s Aunt, the that transpired during those years are anything but forgotten.  In this story, Anne will chronicle what life was like for her aunt in a Japanese internment camp.

Anne Shimojima is a third generation Japanese American, and grew up in Chicago, Illinois.  During her time as a librarian in an elementary school, she learned the power of storytelling and was inspired make it a part of her life.  Since then she has traveled the world sharing her stories, and has performed at National Storytelling Festival, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Illinois Storytelling Festival, the Talk Story Storytelling Festival in Honolulu, and numerous others.  Her stories have touched the hearts of thousands, and will continue to for generations to come.