Stories of reconciliation at Vancouver public library

An award-winning playwright and actressfrom the Yukoncontinues to bridgethe gap one story at a time, as the Aboriginal Storyteller in Residence at the Vancouver Public Library.

• Sharon Shorty is storyteller in residence at Vancouver library

Sharon Shorty has been in Vancouver for the past several months, telling both traditional and modern stories, in an effort to repair the hurt caused by residential schools.

"They just want to be heard. They just want their stories to be heard and validated," she told the CBC's Rick Cluff on The Early Edition.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its recommendations in May with 94 recommendations for change in policies, programs and the "way we talk to, and about, each other."

As the storyteller in residence The Vancouver Library chooses one each year Shorty has had the opportunity to sharestories passed down from her grandmothers.

"I want them to hear stories of my dad," she said of her father who went to residential school in the Yukon with his cousin."Theywere traditional trackers, when kids would take off from school, they would be the ones to track them down," she said.

"One day, my dad said, hey cousin, why are we doing this? If we can track these guys, why can't we just take off on our own and not be tracked? And that is what they did.

"I was very proud of my dad when I heard that story," she said.

Shorty will besharing stories on Tuesday atBritannia public library at 4:30 p.m. PT.

To hear the full interview listen to the audio labelledStories of reconciliation: healing through storytellingwiththe CBC's Rick Cluff onThe Early Edition.