Featuring: WolfSong / Rickie Douglas Provencher
Gentle Soul, Guide, Philanthropic Storyteller
Despite the lack of pictures or video, it felt like we still needed to remember and say aloud this name once more: WolfSong. He was also known as Rickie Douglas Provencher. He came to professional storytelling in 1992, though he told stories of the Abenaki tribe as well as other Native stories long before touring or sharing on a formal level. Several people said that as he died in 2000 at age 47, the Internet was not used as often and finding bits of his life were harder than usual. Though, as I scoured and searched, I loved what I found out about him.
Joseph Bruchac was a mentor of WolfSong. Jesse Bruchac, Joseph’s son, was mentored by WolfSong. What a beautiful circle of love and guidance.
WolfSong was known to be kind and gentle yet would throw in a comment or two to keep you on your toes or at least to make you laugh. One person remembered that WolfSong met her husband for the first time. Her husband had a little bit of a belly and WolfSong commented, “I see you’ve wintered well!” Now how is that for a lovely comment for a first-time meeting!
Beyond the humor, he had a heart for the Abenaki people. His ancestry included Abenaki, Mohawk, Cherokee, English, Scottish-Irish and French heritage. Though, he often held fundraising concerts to money for ancestral remains of the Abenaki, known as an extinct tribe. He often told at the Vermont Storytelling Festival and long-time Vermont tellers would be able to regale stories of WolfSong.
If you have links to add – video, audio, articles – please share by emailing info@storycrossroads.org or commenting on this blog post.
You can see more details on WolfSong’s page with the Story Artists Memorial.
While this video does not feature WolfSong, he is mentioned and respected by Joseph and Jesse Bruchac. You can watch the whole piece, which is wonderful, though this particular one starts about 49 minutes into this program where WolfSong is mentioned. Joseph Bruchac said that WolfSong’s recordings are still available for purchase and can be acquired through Joseph. You can email Joseph at nudatlog (at) earthlink.net
Do you know a Story Artist who has passed on and want others to remember them? Memories? Pictures? You can submit names and memories of Story Artists who have passed on through our online form.
I appreciate WolfSong with his ability to engage people in precious stories of the Abenaki tribe as well as many others so they would not be forgotten. So let us also do him a favor and never forget him, even if this is the first time knowing this name.
WolfSong still has a story. You have a story. We all have stories.
That was interesting.