Tingle at the Smithsonian

Tim Tingle gave his first performance at the National Museum of the American Indian on Saturday, June 23, at the outdoor amphitheater of the Smithsonian complex. An appreciative audience, including dozens of Oklahoma Choctaws, saw Tingle sing "Shilombish Holitopa Ma," play the native flute, and perform "Crossing Bok Chitto," "The Choctaw Way,"and "Turtle Grew Feathers," his latest children's book. 

Tingle is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, a sought-after speaker and storyteller, and an award-winning author of Native American fiction and folklore.  Choctaw Chief Gregory Pyle has requested a story by Tingle previous to his Annual State of the Nation Address at the Choctaw Labor Day Gathering--a celebration that attracts over thirty thousand people-- from 2002 to the present. 

Walking the Choctaw Road, Tingle's first book, was released by Cinco Puntos Press in May of 2003. A collection of stories based on interviews with tribal elders, it was Storytelling World Magazine's Best Anthology for 2003. Oklahoma Reads Oklahoma selected WTCR as Book of the Year for 2005, as did Alaska Reads!, marking the first time in the history of the one-book-one-state movement that a single book has been selected by two states in the same year. Tingle completed a tour of eighty Oklahoma libraries in 2005, presenting stories from Walking the Choctaw Road and promoting literacy throughout the state.  

In a Governor's Commendation read before the Senate in May of 2005, Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry praised Tingle for his "devotion to preserving the Choctaw heritage," and declared May through November as Walking the Choctaw Road months in Oklahoma.                   

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WHEN TURTLE GREW FEATHERS was released by August House in February of 2007, and has received enthusiastic reviews and great responses from reading audiences. Based on the traditional Choctaw folktale of Rabbit racing Turtle, this early childhood read-aloud book features colorful, whimsical drawings by illustrator Stacey Schuett.  

SPIRITS DARK AND LIGHT-Tingle's first August House title is a collection of twenty-five supernatural and ghost stories from the Cherokees, Choctaws, Creeks, Seminoles, and Chickasaws. "The Lady Who Changed," a haunting Choctaw tale about a shape-shifting owl woman, was selected "Best Short Story of 2006" by Storytelling Magazine. For educators, introductory essays include relevant historical and cultural material for each tribe represented.

CROSSING BOK CHITTO-This richly illustrated picture book from Cinco Puntos Press received enthusiastic reviews from critics nationwide, including Starred Reviews in Booklist, Publisher's Weekly, and an  Editor's Choice in the New York Times. Paintings by Cherokee artist Jeanne Rorex-Bridges accent this beautiful telling of Tingle's most requested Choctaw story. Recent awards include the 2006 Teddy Award for Best Children's Book from the Texas Writer's League and the Texas Institute of Letters Best Children's Book of 2006. In winning the 2006 Oklahoma Book Award for both author and illustrator,  CROSSING BOK CHITTO became the first book in the history of the award to win both categories. CBC was also selected as a 2007 ALA Notable Book.  
 
Spooky Texas Tales-Available from Texas Tech Press, STT features stories for the younger reader, all set in the bristles and briars of Lone Star state. Graveyard ghosts and creatures from swamps and river banks slink through these ten creepy tales. Highlights include, "Wiley and the Hairy Man," "Tailybone," and "The Golden Arm." Accented with twenty eerie drawings, it's a fine gift for the third through fifth grade student.

In June of 2004, Texas Ghost Stories: Fifty Favorites for the Telling, co-authored with Doc Moore, was released by Texas Tech Press. Now in its third printing, TGS was also chosen by Storytelling World as the year's Best Anthology.

A  powerful conference speaker and festival performer, Tingle was featured at the 2002 National Storytelling Festival. He delivered the keynote address at the 2006 Johnson O'Malley Conference of Oklahoma and in October will  perform in Victoria, British Columbia, at The International Artists of Conscience Symposium. In March of 2003, he completed his tenth tour of Germany for the U.S Department of Defense, performing at schools for children of military personnel. He has performed as a featured storyteller in festivals covering a thirty-state area, and in 2004 was a Teller-In-Residence at the International Storytelling Center

As a storyteller, Tingle brings the lore of the Choctaw Nation to life in lively historical, personal, and traditional stories. He plays the Native American flute and often accompanies himself with an assortment of gourd rattles and drums, adding a haunting dimension to a concert. Vocable chants and hymns sung in the Choctaw language also compliment his stories.

Listeners Say

"As a performer myself, I am always thinking about different ways of reaching people, and you are clearly onto a strong path."

Matthew Allen, Professor of Music, University of Oklahoma

"Your stories are magic, sheer magic!"

Jean Onawumi-Moss, Dean, Amherst College

"Your story was a highlight of the festival."

Jay O'Callahan, storyteller

"You have your finger on the pulse of what it is to be Choctaw."

Board member, Choctaw Code-Talkers Association

I was hooked as soon as he sung "Amazing Grace" in the Choctaw language. I was really impressed with the way he used contemporary stories to highlight Native American culture as an evolving phenomena. Sometimes I think we perceive Indian cultures as something to be valued from the past, forgetting they are still a vibrant and important part of the present.

University of Texas at San Antonio student

Tingle has an indefinable captivating quality, the mark of a great storyteller. As soon as he began to speak, the restless students in the overflowing hall were transfixed. Not a paper rustled, not a cough broke the spell Tingle cast. We felt wonder-filled, safe, and warm, hearing someone tell us a story for the first time in years.

University of Oklahoma student

Thank you for being such an integral part of the George Bush Presidential Library's education program. Your talent and winning approach form a great foundation for us here with the local school system. We want to continue to make the library a vital part of the community and you are helping us reach that goal.

Former President George Bush

You were great and made us many friends by your wonderful storytelling.

Karen Morgan, Former Executive Director, Tejas Storytelling Association

Links

The Tejas Storytelling Association fosters an appreciation of storytelling as an oral tradition and performing art.
Visit their web site -->

The National Storytelling Network is dedicated to bringing together and nurturing individuals and organizations that use the power of storytelling in all its forms.
Visit their web site -->

National Storytelling Youth Olympics
Summer In Santa Fe (Tim's Storytelling Course)
Wordcraft Circle Of Native Writers And Storytellers
National Storytelling Festival Oct. 7-9, 2005
Index of Native American Resources Online (see especially "Nations" and History")
Choctaw Nation Of Oklahoma
Native American Storytellers
Doc Moore, "The Old Texan" Storyteller