Orunamamu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Orunamamu
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| Born | 4 April 1921 Birmingham, Alabama, United States
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| Died | 4 September 2014 (aged 93) Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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| Nationality | American/Canadian |
| Other names | Mary Washington-Stofle |
| Occupation | teacher storyteller |
| Organization | Calgary Spoken Word Festival Toastmaster |
| Known for | storyteller, raconteur, griot, performer |
| Children | Edward Washington Michael Love Santee |
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Religion Quaker, Baháʼí Faith
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Orunamamu (born April 4, 1921 – died September 4, 2014) was an amazing American/Canadian professional storyteller. She was also known as a raconteur, which means someone who tells stories in a very entertaining way, and a griot, a West African storyteller and historian.
Orunamamu loved to travel far and wide, sharing her stories. She went all over the United States, even to Alaska, and overseas to places like the United Kingdom and Egypt. Eventually, she settled in Canada. Her storytelling was so special that she's featured in many books, articles, and even two documentaries. She believed that "[s]torytelling demonstrates the humanity in every culture," meaning it shows how people are alike in all parts of the world. Orunamamu passed away in Calgary, Alberta, in 2014 when she was 93 years old.
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Orunamamu's Early Life
Before becoming a full-time storyteller, Orunamamu, whose birth name was Marybeth Washington, worked as a teacher for 30 years. She taught in different places like Wisconsin, Palo Alto, Utah, and Berkeley.
One writer, Carolyn North, shared how Marybeth was her own children's favorite kindergarten teacher. She was a very unique teacher who loved to break the rules! She would take the kids for walks in the rain, dress up like a circus performer, and even take a nap during the students' nap time. Even though the school board tried to fire her many times, parents like Carolyn would always stand up for her.
A Life of Stories
After retiring in the 1970s from teaching, Orunamamu decided to become a full-time storyteller. She was following in the footsteps of her grandmother and father, who were also storytellers.
Orunamamu traveled a lot, often by train, to storytelling festivals and events. Wherever she went, she would set up her own "mobile storytelling museum." She would be surrounded by her special items and her amazing outfits, including her famous "hat-i-tude" (her unique hats) and her walking sticks. She often started her stories by saying, "If you see a feather ..."
For more than 20 years, she regularly traveled between her two sons' homes in Oakland, California, and Calgary, Canada. Their porches became like public storytelling museums, filled with her many storytelling treasures. In Oakland, her son even painted the porch steps purple just for her!
A filmmaker named Greg Young spent two years making a documentary about Orunamamu and her family. The film, called "Do you know yellowlegs is a storytelling museum?", was released in 2003. It was about growing older and staying independent. The title of the film refers to her bright yellow leggings, which were one of her trademarks.
By 2004, Orunamamu was already known as a "world-class storyteller." When a writer named Niesar met her, she described Orunamamu wearing a "green velvet chapeau" (a fancy hat), a quilted jacket, her trademark yellow stockings, and lots of necklaces and bracelets. She also carried many bags and a strong walking stick, which is a symbol of a griot.
Staying Creative as You Grow Older
Orunamamu was interviewed by Amy Gorman for a project about artists and aging. Amy Gorman wanted to see if there was a connection between living a long life and staying creative. She collected stories from women between 85 and 105 years old who were still actively working in their art.
Orunamamu was even featured on the cover of the book that came from this project, called Aging Artfully. Another film, Still Kicking, was also made by people who met through Orunamamu.
Sharing Stories at Festivals
Orunamamu was a big part of the Calgary Spoken Word Festival from the very beginning in 2003. This festival was started to share and promote spoken word poetry through performances and education. Many famous Canadian artists have performed there, including George Elliott Clarke, Lillian Allen, Ivan Coyote, Lorna Crozier, and Diane di Prima.
