Hmong Chronicles Series.
The Hmong Chronicles series which launched in July 2016, focuses on the revival of Hmong oral traditions through intergenerational collaborations between Hmong elders and contemporary Hmong artists. The concept is simple: How can Hmong elders pass on oral stories in the traditional way, while encouraging contemporary artists / the next generation learn and be inspired to re-tell those stories in their own artistic way?
This collection consists of live performances and edited film versions.
Watch this Oral Project
Follow along as May Lee-Yang and Phasoua Vang continue the Hmong oral storytelling tradition by way of wringing stories from the elders and sharing one of their own. In this re-telling of Hmong Folklore about an orphan boy.
Hmong Museum’s third Hmong Chronicles event features award winning author, Kao Kalia Yang and her father a song poet, Bee Yang . This intergenerational collaboration will take audience members on a journey through the life experiences of Hmong refugees through Bee Yang’s original kws txhiaj song poetry and interpreted by Kao Kalia Yang through her writing.
This event took place at Arlington Hills Library in St. Paul on February 9, 2017.
Hmong Museum partners with spoken word artist Tou Saiko Lee to create a unique performance reviving traditional oral storytelling. This is the first of four “Hmong Chronicles” series in 2016 and 2017. In this video Russ Ly choreographs a modern dance to the story and performs it with Kao Nou Moua. The story is narrated by Long Lee and Chy Lee.
Hmong Museum partnered with Tou Saiko Lee, a Minnesota spoken word artist, to create a unique performance and experience to revive traditional oral storytelling. This is the first of four “Hmong Chronicles” series 2016.
Young refugee and immigrant children were often the interpreters for their parents in school, hospital, and other institutional settings. Shoua Lee (writer, St. Paul, MN) shares her experience as a young child interpreting for her parents and reflecting on the miscommunication that happens when there is a lack of understanding of the needs of refugee communities.
Hmong Museum presented Hmong Chronicles 3: A transfer of voices across mediums featuring award winning author, Kao Kalia Yang and her father a song poet, Bee Yang.
This event took place at Arlington Hills Library in St. Paul on February 9, 2017.
Hmong Museum partnered with Tou Saiko Lee, a Minnesota spoken word artist, to create a unique performance and experience to revive traditional oral storytelling. This is the first of four “Hmong Chronicles” series 2016. Grandmother and grandson duo "Fresh Traditions" (Tou SaiKo Lee and Youa Chang) performs traditional Hmong kws txhaj and American poetry spoken word.
Hmong Museum partnered with Tou Saiko Lee, a Minnesota spoken word artist, to create a unique performance and experience to revive traditional oral storytelling. This is the first of four “Hmong Chronicles” series in 2016 and 2017. In this video, Tou Saiko introduces his partnership with his grandmother as “Fresh Traditions” and Youa Chang performs kws txhiaj sung poetry.
Oral Traditions
The Hmong Chronicles series hopes to inspire the next generation to listen and re-tell these folk stories and life of the Hmong before America, in their own modern way.
The Hmong practice an oral culture, passing down their history, knowledge, stories, and art from one generation to the next through oral teachings and storytelling. Traditionally, Hmong elders would gather their children and friends to share folklore or life experiences. Up until the 19th century, the Hmong people had no written language and relied on oral traditions.
A young girl, for example, learned how to sew by watching and listening to her mother. A young man learns the songs of the dead and poetry from an elder, through listening and continuously repeating the songs. The stories of their ancestors, like that of why the Hmong have 18 clans were told from one generation to the next.
Data of the Hmong population shows that the Hmong elder’s numbers are shrinking, while the Hmong youth (ages up to 25 years old,) make most of the Hmong population. There are less and less elders to pass on their knowledge of folk stories and histories. There is a need and some urgency to begin providing authentic storytelling experiences by elders to the next generation.
THANK YOU
This collection is funded in part by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Asian Pacific Endowment Fund, and donations from over 800 individuals and businesses in the community. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
