Be transported back in time through
the mysterious power of stories to better understand
a vibrant culture still among us. 

Internationally acclaimed storyteller, Neeake,
is the Olammapise (Truth Teller)
of the Shawandasse Nishnabe
(Shawnee Nation United Remnant Band). 

The stories he holds as a sacred trust
are of the balance of all life
and the gift that each life is to the other. 
They are "bibadinsawawachitah," 
the proper way to walk upon the earth.

 


 

Neeake has been sharing the stories of his people since 1971 and was elected as the Principal Storyteller by the Tribal Council in 1986.  The stories are an oral tradition that has been handed down from one generation to the next for centuries.  (In the ancient calendar of the Shawandasse, the year is 12,981).  The stories include history, music,humor, cultural perspectives, words as art, and ecology.  They touch all of the disciplines of education and are a powerful way to share the insights of the circle that is life with children and adults
 

Neeake has spoken before many elementary, middle, and high schools; universities and colleges; graduate schools; wildlife conservation groups; churches; historical societies, museums, and foundations; international groups; and has been a featured storyteller at national storytelling celebrations.  Neeake has worked with the Cincinnati Zoo for many years in their Wildlife Discovery Days event which provides wildlife and environmental education for 10,000 children over a 5 day period.  He also has spoken on Thane Maynard's NINETY SECOND NATURALIST on Public Radio and has worked with Mr. Maynard and Kathleen Stewart on a CD as part of an eagle curriculum produced by the Cincinnati Zoo.  In recognition of his work, Neeake is included in Thane Maynard's book, WORKING WITH WILDLIFE, a select who's who of experts in the varied fields of wildlife education, care, art, and research.  In addition, Neeake is a Rocky Mountain and Grand Canyon backpack trip leader who shares the natural world in an intimate way with small groups in the wilderness.
 

Neeake has been recognized by the National Trust for Historical Preservation, a host of museums and educational institutions, and international groups for cultural understanding.  His favorite evaluation is from a first grader, "I like you.  You're nice!"

Neeake, whose name means "He-Talks-as-He-Flies" or the Canada Goose, also is known as Fred A. Shaw.  He is a summa cum laude graduate of Ohio University and a member of Phi Beta Kappa among other honors.  He holds a Master of Divinity Degree from the Methodist Theological School in Ohio and is the senior pastor of the Trinity United Methodist Church in Milford, Ohio.  Fred and Nancy (Eppley) were united in marriage in 1970.  They have two children.  Ross, another honors graduate of Ohio University, is a high school social studies teacher.  Anne, an honors senior at Northern Kentucky University, is pursuing a career with wild animals, specifically the birds of prey and the big cats.

TO CONTACT NEEAKE TO SPEAK FOR YOUR SCHOOL OR GROUP,
CALL 513-576-6002 OR E-MAIL HIM AT fashaw@juno.com