CLASS OF 1986

GREG RODGERS

A member of
the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Greg is a burgeoning writer and storyteller.
He is a descendant of Reverend Israel Folsom, a co-author of the first
Choctaw dictionary and prominent Choctaw leader in both Mississippi and
Oklahoma during the 1800’s. Greg is an alumnus of the
University of Oklahoma's Native American
Studies Program.
Greg’s short story, "Harriet's Burden," is included in the 2006 Nov/Dec
special Native American issue of Storytelling Magazine, the
membership publication of the
National Storytelling Network.
This story is the first in a series of short stories based on family
remembrances. An accomplished Native American flute player, Rodgers has
performed and presented workshops at schools, libraries, and tribal events
throughout Oklahoma. He has performed stories in front of diverse audiences,
including the
Choctaw Nation Storytelling Festival,
held annually in McAlester, Oklahoma, and the 2006
Okla Chahta Gathering in
Bakersfield, California.
In November of 2007, Rodgers was a featured performer at the Fort Worth
Library’s Native American Heritage Month Celebration. In March of 2007, he
performed during the Native American Concert at the Texas Storytelling
Festival in Denton, TX.
In between the writing, telling, and collecting of stories, Greg serves
as a newly elected board member for both the
Oklahoma Choctaw Tribal Alliance
and
Territory Tellers, the
Oklahoma state storytelling organization. He is also a regional
vice-president for the
Folsom Family Association.
Greg’s storytelling repertory includes both traditional and contemporary
Choctaw stories, family stories, and travel stories from the year he spent
in Prague teaching English. Over the summer of 2006, Rodgers completed a
storytelling mentorship under the direction of professional Choctaw
storyteller and author
Tim Tingle, sponsored by the
University of Oklahoma. In addition, for the last year, he has studied the
craft of storytelling with nationally respected and acclaimed Appalachian
master storyteller
Elizabeth Ellis. Greg’s
performances are a public demonstration of his true passion, the collection
and respectful preservation of his people’s memories----the foundation of
the Choctaw oral narrative