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Indigenous Childhood Stories Transform Worlds — Want Some?

Dr. Don G. McIntyre explores how Indigenous storytelling may offer exactly what we need to face today’s complex world.

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About the talk

My understanding of the world is based on the stories I was told as a child. As an Anishinaabe child, my stories were of Raven and Coyote, Nanabush, Napi and Che Jean. These Indigenous stories do not fit into the Western literary patterns of ‘once upon a time’ and ‘happily ever after’. They involve Tricksters—beings with a hand in the creation of the world and responsibility to keep our world in balance. Indigenous peoples tell these stories to their babies to both nourish and carry them to sleep. As the children grow, they ask more difficult questions and the stories develop to continue nourishing their capacity and desire to navigate the new complexities in their world.  By the time these children are society members, the story has expanded from a five-minute bedtime tale to a lengthy analogous lesson in how to be a ‘good human’. This is a pedagogy that is nearly extinct in Western culture, but I propose a revival! Join me as I introduce you to the stories of my childhood and demonstrate how the lessons of my Indigenous systems can help answer the complex questions we are all facing today. Spend some time with me storytelling at Tricksters’ knee. 

About Dr. Don G. McIntyre

I am a Status Indian from the Timiskaming Nation. I am of Scottish and Algonquin ancestry. My father’s family comes from Tiree, the westernmost island of Scotland’s Inner Hebrides, and my mother’s family is Anishinaabe, Ojibway of the Wolf Clan. As an adult I was also adopted into the Nisga’a in the Potlatch by the Dangeli family of the Beaver Clan and was later gifted a Blackfoot name by the late Elder Tom Crane Bear. These relationships have shaped both my responsibilities as a child, as a young man and now my life’s work. 

I am an educator and scholar committed to advancing reconciliation and re-centring Indigenous knowledge systems in contemporary contexts. I have taught law and justice at Native Education College and Native American Studies at the University of Lethbridge. I currently teach at the Dhillon School of Business and serve as faculty in the Indigenous Leadership Program at the Banff Centre. My research explores economic systems and structures, the meta-crisis, Traditional Indigenous Knowledge, and Indigenous trans-systemic approaches to leadership and change.

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Thank you to our sponsors!

The 2025-26 PUBlic Professor Series is made possible thanks to:  

University of Lethbridge Senate,
Dr. Dennis Connolly (LLD ’17),
Knud Petersen,
Dave and Kathy Greenwood,
Dr. Michelle Helstein,
Dr. Digvir and Manju Jayas,
Deborah Lucas, and 
Dr. Dena McMartin

About the series

In June 2014, the Faculty of Arts & Science launched something special: the PUBlic Professor Series. In 2023, we expanded the series to include talks by researchers from across the University. This monthly lecture series is designed to spark thought-provoking discussions and bring a diverse group of experts and researchers from our campus right into the community.

While the series' scope has grown, its core mission remains unchanged. These talks will continue to offer valuable insights into topics that pique interest, inspire questions, and foster open and engaging conversations. The PUBlic Professor Series provides an excellent opportunity for the community to come together, connect with one another, and dive into meaningful discussions.

This series is a natural extension of the popular Public Professor column, co-edited by Dan Johnson and James Linville, which you may have enjoyed reading in the Lethbridge Herald. Over the span of three years, they published a total of 146 regular Saturday columns, each penned by our talented faculty, sharing intriguing aspects of their research with you.

Together, let’s explore the fascinating world of knowledge, one conversation at a time.

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