On a rainy day, a cozy group gathered at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians Saturday to hear storytellers weave tales from American Indian cultures.

Members of the audience came to the 22nd Annual 11th Moon Storytelling for different reasons.

“I’m very interested in my Native American ancestry,” Natchez resident Yolanda Person said. “I attend all the events I can at the Grand Village.”

Lynn Burke and Randy Giffith drove from Baton Rouge just to hear the stories.

“I just thought it would be interesting,” Burke said. “We came up special for this.”

Griffith said he thought it was a different way to celebrate and learn about the Natchez people.

“It’s a different history of Natchez that’s not as well known, I think,” he said. “It’s kind of an unknown part of Natchez.”

About a dozen Boy Scouts from Troop 355 made the trip from Wesson to hear the tales. For most of them, it was the first time they had attended the storytelling.

“The last one was my favorite, when he stole the horse from his enemies,” said 13-year-old Walker Parrish, referring to a tale about a young man proving his skill and bravery.

Eric Sharp, 12, said he had always been interested in history.

“It’s always been one of my favorite subjects,” Sharp said. “It’s also the one I get the best grades in.”

Assistant Scout Master Deborah Box said she found the event on the Internet and arranged the trip. Most of the boys were excited about the stories, she said.

“On the way here, they were asking 50 different questions,” Box said. “And this will help lead into their Indian lore (merit badge).”

Charles Leckie was raised in Natchez, and while visiting his parents, he brought his four young children to the event.

“My parents live just down the street,” Leckie said. “I used to come to this when I was that age.”

Storyteller Melodia White has childhood memories of the event, too. This was the first year she told stories at the event.

“I came here as a child, listening to the stories,” White said.

White, of Houma descent, said she sometimes refers to books for stories of her people.

“The rest I know have been passed on from my family,” she said.

Veteran storyteller Sam Jones said they have good attendance every year, and he’s always amazed at the attentiveness of the children.

The oral tradition of storytelling is still a vital tradition, Jones said.

“It was important to Native Americans to tell stories, whether they had a written language or not,” he said. “That was their way of passing on culture and teaching children.

“And when you pass that on to someone in modern times, it still means a lot.”

Jones, who has told stories at the event for six or seven years, said that while some storytellers focus on traditional creation stories, he liked to tell stories about American Indian cultures and ways of life.

“When you do, these guys’ faces light up,” he said. “That’s a big incentive to keep doing it.”