Professional storyteller visits District 88

By Alyssa Smith
Addison Trail Class of 2013 

“Funga Alafia, Ase Ase, Funga Alafia, Ase Ase.”

Those are the words sung by professional storyteller Mama Edie Armstrong. She sings that song (titled “Funga Alafia”) at the beginning of each session because she likes the feeling it evokes before she starts her stories. The song has only three words, but there is a powerful meaning behind each one. “Funga” means “I welcome you into my heart,” “Alafia” means “May the peace of God be with you” and “Ase” means “Amen” or “There's power and truth in what you just said.”

Throughout the years, Armstrong has learned songs like this one from various African countries and cultures. She also has learned them from African dance companies in Chicago.

On April 5, Addison Trail and Willowbrook students and staff members enjoyed a program by Armstrong, who also is a published writer, percussionist, speech/language pathologist and voiceover artist.

According to Armstrong’s website, www.storytelling.org/MamaEdie, she has provided international storytelling performances and workshops for parents, teachers, children, social workers, steel workers, attorneys and various other professionals since 1989. Her stories are largely inspired by her passion for her African and Native American ancestries. Armstrong’s presentations are powerful reminders of each person’s individual beauty and strength and the gift each person is to the world.

On April 5, Armstrong presented an interactive program called “Finding the Light Inside” for District 88, which involved stories that celebrate the discovery and importance of each person’s uniqueness and included music and storytelling.

“I like to focus mainly on folktales, wisdom tales, spiritual stories, bilingual stories, stories from nature, historical stories and personal stories from my own life,” Armstrong said. “I want the stories I tell to empower people to find the light inside of them. Through the stories, I want to reveal something unique from a given culture the world might not have had access to otherwise.”

Each story Armstrong tells has a different lesson to be learned – whether it’s finding that light inside, learning to work together with someone or realizing you are the only person you have, so you should learn to love yourself.

“I try to teach everyone they are unique, that they have a special gift or talent they can give to the world like nobody else can,” Armstrong said. “I want them to take away that they have enormous power in their words. I want them to take away that the world is much larger than this country, and that each culture, each place on the planet, is a gem to be protected, appreciated and acknowledged for being a part of us and that we are a part of each place.”

To contact Armstrong, e-mail her at mamaedie2@aol.com.