Transgenerational Artistry: Sicilian Folktales and the Heroine’s Journey
Publication information:
Abstract
For centuries, Sicilian women used the art of storytelling to preserve their ancient goddess and assert alternative plotlines to patriarchal oppression. In this paper, I explore Sicilian folktales as an Indigenous spiritual art form and as feminist, decolonial praxis. Following the template of resistance in the folktales, I compare their female protagonists to goddess archetypes and employ autoethnography to reshape my ancestral story as a transgenerational heroine’s journey. Weaving together academic and artistic lenses, I illustrate the influence of spiritual arts on political praxis and embodied experience, reflecting on the stories we hold and the stories we wish to tell.
Presenter Biography
Allison Smith is a PhD student at the California Institute of Integral Studies, where she explores women's experiences through academic and intuitive lenses. Through her research, Allison seeks to help others ask life’s big questions and make meaning. Allison holds an MPA from USC and a BA from American University.