“Going out into the community has been incredible,” he shares. “I really enjoy being a storyteller; I love seeing people laugh; I love seeing people learn.”

A celebration of Bose will take place at the Indigenous Storyteller in Residence Finale (June 12, Central Library), an evening of storytelling and music. Before the finale, Bose will also MC the launch of Word Vancouver, an annual free literary arts festival honouring the collective experience (June 10, Central Library).

Flipping the script

A member of the Nlaka’pamux and Secwepemc Nations, Bose’s connection to stories started with his grandparents – famous storytellers of his community. As a child, he spent time with them, listening to stories of the land, humans, shapeshifters and other creatures of the territory.

“They would travel through fall and winter across Canada to conferences,” he adds of his grandparents’ roles as traditional storytellers. “I went with them, too, at times, and I grew up with stories.”

The storyteller will also be at VPL’s Tiny Desk Concert (June 14, Central Library). Alongside Bose, the event features Vancouver’s current Poet Laureate, Elee Kraljii Gardiner, and musical guest, Graham How. It emphasizes music and storytelling in an intimate setting.

“The songs I do are very narrative, story-driven,” the storyteller reflects, adding he plays cowpunk Indigenous acoustic music in Horse Funeral Band. “What I’ve been through, what I’ve seen, what I’ve documented, and they’re all the same human emotions: love, regret, heartache, happiness, joy, family reconciliation and just persistence.”

As part of his VPL residency, Bose is working on 12 short, Indigenous comedy horror stories. These pieces challenge the common horror trope that sees the person of colour being the first to die.

“I’m having a lot of fun flipping the script; I’m trying to make it entertaining and gory and just fun,” he shares. “I’m also trying to make them educational, like [including] cultural linguistic songs, and then comedy and horror for fun.”

Openness to sharing

Bose is also working on two digital projects during his residency; he expects both to extend beyond his time at VPL. One is a video, language and dialogue project; the other involves geocaching parts of the city to understand how they looked before colonization.

“I’m trying to find places where the people lived, the stories lived and the songs lived,” the storyteller adds. “I want to take people back in time and reclaim those places and reclaim those stories, tell them and share them.”

Back home in Kamloops, Bose is a community facilitator, often holding three to four workshops a week. Working primarily with youth, he teaches various topics, including art, film and writing. The storyteller brings the same level of community engagement to his VPL residency – sometimes all in one day.

“I went to five library branches at the VPL; I sang a traditional song, and I played a couple of my band’s songs,” he recalls of a one-day road trip across Vancouver, including stops at Joe Fortes, Kitsilano and Kerrisdale. “And then, I read some poetry.”

While the plans are not yet finalized, Bose anticipates sharing two or three “scary” and “transformative” stories involving coyote tricksters or other shapeshifters at the launch of Word Vancouver. He also plans to share his family’s music – songs that only his bloodline can sing – at this event.

“I share my language every time I story tell; I make it inclusive,” Bose adds. “I give everyone shakes and rattlers and drums and all kinds of noise makers to be part of the story, and I teach them words of my language.”

Bose’s favourite part of the residency has been working with others – including the VPL staff and community members. He is also proud to have held a variety of events, including film screenings, jam sessions, poetry readings, songwriting workshops and zine-making workshops.

“It takes bravery to tell a story that’s close to your heart, close to your soul and close to your family,” he reflects, encouraging artists to share their work at open mics. “Those are tough stories to tell.”

For more information, see www.vpl.ca/person/chris-bose