Earth Stories Project: An Action Research Project

Slides from a presentation given at the REA2024 annual meeting

1. Earth Stories Project
A glimpse of action research “in progress”
Mary E. Hess
earth.storyingfaith.org

2. Luther Seminary is on Miní Sóta Makhóčhe, the homelands of the Dakhóta Oyáte.
The Ojibwe, Ho-Chunk, Cheyenne, Oto, Iowa, and the Sac & Fox also inhabited
Minnesota land. We recognize that God calls all to be in right relationship with their
neighbors, that the tribes are sovereign nations, that there is a history of broken
treaties and broken trust, and that there is much reconciling work to be done. As
Christians, we also recognize that in Christ there is new life, forgiveness, and hope
for mending what is broken. We pray the Holy Spirit will lead us in this work.

3. an offer to “dis-equilibrate” (thx Randy Woodley!) — this is a collaborative
session, most of it will be given over to a story circle exercise
I commend the papers already offered this week for their background
and citations, because of the shared resonance I found there around
creative engagement as one route into resistance and resilience

4. this research is rooted in…
•indigenous epistemologies — particularly circle practices and storying
faith — from the standpoint of someone who is only learning them and
whose standpoint has been narrowly formed through hegemonic cultural
practices
•and so: deep gratitude and respect for what I am learning from the work
of scholars on intersectional pedagogies
•a recognition that the dynamics of authority, authenticity, and agency are
shifting abruptly amidst digitality
•a recognition that we live in a time of deep context collapse
•a recognition that learning in this era needs to be about igniting curiosity,
curating appropriate materials, and sharing good practices

5. I bring to this project…
•three decades of work on media education and digital
storytelling
•a strong concern about the polarization we are inhabiting
in the US
•a definition of faith formation that finds the “create/share/
believe” pedagogical circle compelling
•a deep humility: this project is a very tiny intervention
located in primarily white congregations geographically
rooted in the upper Midwest of the US

6. Bryan Stevenson’s four practices led to my
questions
•get proximate: can I invite people into stories about
caring for creation that are personal?
•change the narratives: might such stories, when
shared, start to change a narrative of polarization?
•find your hope: what kind of hope might arise in a
process like this?
•embrace discomfort: can we find ways to embrace the
grief and anger together?
Stevenson

7. so what is this project?

8. my hypothesis is that digital storytelling is a
modality that has potential amidst climate
catastrophe

9. 11 workshops held so far, involving more than 100
people, across five states (MN, SD, MT, WI, and
OH)

10. there is an essential quote that has sustained this
project (and I think has resonance with much that
has already been voiced this week), and has been
part of every workshop

11. Joy is the gift of love. Grief is the price of love.
Anger protects that which is loved. And when
we think we have reached our limit, wonder is
the act that returns us to love.
(Valarie Kaur, See No Stranger, xvi)

12. how might we get in touch with wonder?

13. workshop outline
•intros
•covenant of presence
•two story circles
•shared meal
•co-laboratory around audio (voice memo apps)
•co-laboratory around digital video (iMovie, Canva, Clipchamp)
•shared presentation of videos
•closing blessing

14. you can find the stories that have been published
so far here: http://storyingfaith.org/go/examples

15. today we will do ONE story circle, in groups of four,
just to give you a taste

16. Remember: Everyone has a story to tell, and no one’s story needs to be
“fixed.” This is an opportunity to share and listen carefully.
Move into groups of four people. Each person in a circle will have a
chance to tell a story, and each person will have a chance to try three
different listening tasks. The story listening tasks are: “listen for facts in
the story,” “listen for feelings in the story,” and “listen for values in the
story.”
The basic process is to have one person tell a story, while the other
three each listen for specific things (one element per person). After the
person finishes telling the story (it should be short, no more than 3
minutes), the other people share what they have heard.
Once all three listeners have spoken, the storyteller can offer – if they
wish to, but it is not required – some responses. Pause, and then move
on to the next storyteller and rotate the tasks amongst the other three.

17. you’ll need a timekeeper (a digital timer on a phone
works!) and the story prompt (which I will also put
into the breakout announcement)

18. Share a story of how your faith connects you to the
natural world, in particular how it spurs your care
for Creation.

19. when everyone in your group has had the
opportunity to inhabit each of the four roles
(storyteller, listener for facts, listener for feelings,
listener for values), come back to the main room

20. harvesting!

21. more info and to reach me:
meh.religioused.org