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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI)

The Power of Digital Storytelling

Student at computer typing her digital story script.

Student at computer typing her digital story script.

When Port Gamble/S'Klallam Tribal member Tleena Ives and her sister first watched Tleena's digital story, they cried. Her story is called "Tleena's Paddle." In it she compares her journey of losing 100 pounds to a traditional canoe paddle on the waters of the Coast Salish people. While watching, Tleena realized she had a story to tell, one that could help people. She also acknowledged the pain she had gone through, and that the pain was temporary. "When I see the pictures of me struggling, I know that they were just moments. They were not permanent. I realized I can overcome adversity."

Joe Law, Health Promotion Coordinator for the Portland Area IHS, says being profoundly affected by your own digital story is not uncommon. "A person sees that it is their own story. ‘This happened to me, and this is what I did to overcome it.' It's empowering." Joe has been teaching Native community members how to produce digital stories since 2010. Other IHS Area Health Promotion Disease Prevention (HPDP) Coordinators teach it as well. Joe has taught before, but had no video production experience before he started teaching digital storytelling.

Two women participating in a story circle.

Two women participating in a story circle.

Joe says digital storytelling is becoming more common. It is relatively inexpensive. Production software can be downloaded off the internet. The visuals can also be downloaded, or photographed with small cameras or phones. The only equipment the Portland Area IHS needed to buy was a microphone.

Here are the steps students take to produce their digital stories:

  • Write and read a 5-minute piece that incorporates student's name, and a few words like rez and frybread. This "free writing" exercise gets students comfortable with writing and sharing their writing.
  • Write a script, either a Public Service Announcement or a personal story. Teachers help with editing it to 300 words.
  • In a "Story Circle," each student reads their script. When students hear other students' personal stories, they often change their stories to more personal ones.
  • Gather photos to match script. These are personal photos, or copyright-free photos from the internet.
  • Record their scripts in pairs. Doubling up seems to help students be more confident about having their voices recorded.
  • Put their audio and photos together using free editing software.
  • Keep their stories to share with friends and family members, and/ or post on websites or YouTube.
Student editing his video.

Student editing his video.

Joe says it is a balancing act to motivate students to tell stories that are uniquely their own. "I don't try to pull a certain type of story out of them," he explains. Instead he says, "Tell us what you want to tell."

The results range from PSAs on diabetes prevention to personal stories on how a divorce or alcohol abuse has affected the storyteller. In most cases, the storyteller is positively changed by this opportunity to share. Joe says when many students watch their videos, they realize they may have failed at times but they have also succeeded. They realize they have some control over the stories of their lives. They think, "Wow, I can do it."

If you are interested in putting on a digital storytelling workshop in your area, contact your IHS Area HPDP Coordinator.