The Board of Governors of the Virgin Islands Cultural Heritage Institute cordially invites the community to an evening of storytelling entitled, “The Role of the Storyteller in Virgin Islands Culture” in honor of and in celebration of the life and contributions of Delta Jackson Dorsch, retired educator, storyteller, tradition bearer, matriarch and daughter of the soil.
Over the past seven decades, Dorsch has preserved and chronicled the language art tradition of Virgin Islands storytelling. This interest began as a young girl and later as a young school teacher at the country school when children of the various villages shared with her their insightful stories of Bru Nansi, Jumbie stories and the like.
Recognizing the rich cultural content and relevance of this art, she encouraged students to express their creative talents though the language arts. She has spent much of her life promoting childhood education, the language art of storytelling, and cultural heritage preservation on St. Croix and in the territory.
This community tribute will pay homage to this dynamic lady on from 5-8 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 23, at the historic open air theatre the Frederick Dorsch Activity and Cultural Center located on Strand Street, Frederiksted. In keeping with tradition, a Crucian evening snack of coco and bush teas with titi bread and box cheese will be served during the event.
Tributes from storytellers, colleagues, and community and family members interested in participating may call the office of Virgin Islands Cultural Heritage at 777-1012 for more information.