Storytelling as a Sacred Gift

By Kiran Singh Sirah

I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt appreciation to Smithsonian Folklife writer, Eileen Jones and the incredible production team at Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage for capturing the essence of our experiences at this year’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
 
For me, storytelling has always been a spiritual practice, a creative outlet that holds immense power. It is not only a means of cultural expression but also a tool for building peace, social justice, community empowerment, and change.
 
I firmly believe that the potential to make a difference through storytelling belongs to all of us. No one person owns it; it is a collective power that we all possess. The two weeks spent on the National Mall will remain an unforgettable experience, one that I will always cherish. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue this important work, collaborating with grassroots communities, philanthropic peacebuilding and humanitarian foundations, and individuals who believe in the transformative and sacred power and potential of storytelling to build social empathy, cross-cultural understanding, peace, equity, and justice.
 
Thank you, Eileen Jones, and the Smithsonian Folklife team, for capturing the essence of our journey and reminding us of the potential we hold within ourselves and in our relationships with each other. Let us continue to use storytelling as a force for good, as a means to create a world that is better for generations to come. Together, we can make a difference. 

Read the Smithsonian Blog  by Eileen Jones 
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Illuminations & Reflections: Storytelling as a Sacred Gift
 
As a participating partner in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Storyteller and Folklorist, Kiran led daily “kitchen table”-style community conversations that explored stories as living expressions of culture, faith, and tradition that help us make meaning as we move through the world. These sessions explored the sacred power of storytelling to build meaning in our lives and peace in the world, the art of sharing stories in service of understanding each other better and celebrating our similarities and differences. Here are the five themed talks Kiran shared. Each one was followed with interactive activities and facilitated conversations.

Over a two-week period, Kiran led around twenty story circle themed conversations around these topics:
 

• Soundscapes and Glimmers: The Stories of Everyday Life- Kiran Singh Sirah, explores easy and engaging paths to being more present and mindful from moment to moment. (Mindfulness-themed talk)
• One World, Many Stories- Kiran Singh Sirah unpacks how different perspectives create value, understanding, and joy in our lives.
• Sacred Stories and Our Natural World- Folklorist Kiran Singh Sirah shows how stories can help us repair our broken relationship with the environment. (Environment-themed talk)
• Every Meal Is a Story- In this kitchen-table style session, folklorist Kiran Singh Sirah explores the importance of foodways in his Sikh faith and in building relationships across cultural contexts. (food and foodways-themed talk)
• Modern Rituals- Across cultures, we activate milestones, actions, and objects to help us remember, honor, forgive, and forget. Folklorist Kiran Singh Sirah will lead this session about incorporating simple, yet rich and meaningful, rituals into our daily lives.