Campfire Stories as Told by Dave Fadden

By Mahlon Smoke

Located at the Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Museum, a campfire was set and people gathered for a night of legends and stories told by Dave Fadden. While the pandemic had prevented them from holding it last year, on August 21st they welcomed guests to sit around as Dave Fadden, artist and storyteller, would tell exciting legends and fantastic stories.

Fadden spoke about how he became a storyteller by listening to his grandfather Ray Fadden, tell stories. Dave shared the story of how his grandfather left him in the other room to tell a group one of his stories. Being his first time speaking to a group of museum visitors he was nervous but thought he did pretty okay - and he gained the approval of his grandfather.

"One thing to remember is that the way I tell stories and how my grandfather or any other storyteller is going to be different. But the plot always stays the same," explained Fadden to the audience about the nature of stories.

How they change depending on who tells them and what they bring to the story as well.

Fadden also expressed the importance of stories in the Iroquois community, "Because we didn't have a written language, or books, all of our traditions, our stories, our histories, came from the oral language."

Having the opportunity to educate people with these epic legends of the Peacemaker and Hiawatha (the abridged version), scary stories like the Hoof Lady and so many more stories Fadden has available to the captive and attentive audience. These stories continue to entertain and educate people who have come to listen to them. Including some insight into how Haudenosaunee used to govern and live before colonization took hold. Something to share with anyone who was willing to listen to a good story around the fire.