The “No Rusty Ears” storytelling series returns to the Hampton History Museum Sunday with "Answers, Origins and Connections," a special program led by Native American storyteller and musician Aio Blue Heron Sifu.
The free event celebrates Native American Heritage Month and invites audiences to experience the power of stories that bridge cultures and generations.
Sifu, who is of Muscogee and Cherokee descent, will use her stories and music to explain the everyday phrases and perspectives of Indigenous people that sometimes puzzle non-Natives.
“There are things that we take for granted when we’re speaking amongst ourselves,” said the Washington, D.C. native. She now lives in Hampton Roads.
“When I was speaking to people who are not Native, they looked at me askew. So to try to bridge that gap, I figured that I would find some stories or share some from my life to give meaning to those terms that had caused confusion.”
The Hampton Storytelling group, founded by Janice “Jay” Johnson, created the "No Rusty Ears" series to encourage listeners to become attuned to the art of storytelling. Each month, storytellers perform in the museum’s Great Hall, reflecting the community’s cultural diversity.
“Storytelling is not just about telling stories,” Johnson said. “It’s about people connecting with each other and learning to understand different perspectives.”
For Sifu, storytelling and music are inseparable; she calls her Native American flutes “a voice of life.”
“Life has a soundtrack,” she said. “At powwows, you don’t just go from song to song — you play, you talk and there’s a story in between. That’s how I came to storytelling.”
Sifu performs on several flutes, each keyed to a specific pitch and mood.
“I’m bringing three this time,” she said. “They may look different, but they’re really one voice. Each flute carries its own tone, just like each story.”
This month's theme, "Answers, Origins and Connections," reflects Sifu’s worldview and the larger mission of the series.
“For us in Native American culture, it’s all about the circle of life,” she explained. “There is no beginning and no end—everything is connected. When I look at a tree, I’m looking at a relative, a friend. Everything has life.”
Sifu hopes audiences leave with a renewed sense of curiosity and understanding.
“Stories make us think about our own lives,” she said. “They connect us to where we’ve been and to who we are becoming.”
The Sunday, Nov. 9 program is 2 to 4 p.m. at the Hampton History Museum. Admission is free. Visit hampton.gov/history_museum for more information.