RAISING LUMINARIES

Raising Luminaries creates workshops, training, and educational resources for parents & caregivers igniting the next generation of kind & courageous leaders.

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kitsune trickster fox
Let's explore

Tricksters & Cultural Fluency

Tricksters - Story characters who reveal unspoken rules of their culture and disobey the culture's power structure.

Cultural Fluency - Understanding the differences what different groups consider acceptable behavior, and using that knowledge to treat members of other cultures in a way that feels respectful.

SMASH THE KYRIARCHY

Why Act Now?

Reading trickster stories from around the world increases our cultural fluency and inspires us to consider which cultural rules we're willing to break. Tricksters reveal the unspoken rules of a culture by breaking the rules and facing consequences so kids don't have to test misbehavior on their own.

Tricksters often push up against entrenched power systems - whether as underdogs or petulant brats, they give us a creative outlet to imagine life without the restrictions of social expectations.

In raising a generation of kind and courageous activists, we share trickster stories to show kids that there are both benefits and unavoidable consequences to rejecting the status quo.

Trickster Family Action Toolkit

Cultural Fluency Toolkit For Activist Kids

1. GET CURIOUS

Learn

How does this issue impact YOU and the people you care about?

2. TALK & DEBATE

Ask

Who's willing to be open and honest with you about this issue?

3. SET GOALS

Think

What activities help you ponder & create solutions?

4. CHANGE & ADVOCATE

Action

Which simple steps can kids like you make towards change?

STEP 1: 5 MINUTES

Get Curious: Pick A Story

Which stories and videos make you interested in learning more about this issue?

CHOSEN BY KYRIARCHY-SMASHING KIDS

Best Trickster Stories For Kids

STEP 2: 10 MINUTES

Ask Questions

Talk about this topic with an adult who you trust to be honest with you..

Which...

Which trickster characters do we feel kinship with? Which do we disagree with?

Which trickster stories did we inherit from our ancestors?

Which stories are indigenous to the people and places we call home?

Who...

Who is allowed to share these stories? Under what conditions?*

How do these stories connect us to our ancestors, and to each other?

How...

How have these stories changed over time?

How can we learn what the people who share this story view as 'good' or 'naughty' behavior from the way they tell the story?

How do our favorite tricksters help us identify rules worth breaking?

father daughter tea party
mother lifting child
family eating together

*Do your research and be respectful of the people whose culture the story belongs to before sharing a trickster story.

Many stories, particularly those originating from Indigenous and First Nations people through Turtle Island, are respected as living or told as a closed practice due to cultural and historical reasons-  or under threat of distortion from colonizers, can only be shared by authorized storytellers.

Some may only be shared during specific events and seasons. Some  stories are sung, or shared in a rhythm of call-and-response.

Some trickster stories coincide with religious faiths and cultural creation stories, while others are relatively recent additions from pop culture. Some must be told exactly the same while others are welcome for anyone to make their own spin on them.

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Tackle tricky conversations with confidence

Need help starting hard conversations with your kids?

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STEP 3: USE WHAT YOU HAVE

Get Creative

Flex your brain using what you've learned & discover what's within your control to change.

Infants & Toddlers

Crib Mobile for Baby Troublemakers

Welcome a sense of rebellion and critical thinking early with your infant with high-contrast, newborn-friendly calls to rebel against the system. This downloadable PDF guidebook includes Sun Wukong (Monkey King) printables that will make the boring folks in your life question your parenting choices and back away slowly, so you have more room for mischief-making.

Pre-K

Sun Wukong (Monkey King) Affirmation Cards

Trace or print these full-color printable affirmation cards to give you a pep of energy when you've had enough of this bullshit kyriarchy and are ready to wreak havoc on systemic injustice.

Elementary+

Trickster Bingo

Listen to stories of tricksters both familiar and new to your family. Start with this bingo chart of popular tricksters in lore, faith, and stories from around the world.

Elementary+

How To Draw A Nine-Tailed Fox

Simple step-by-step guide on how to draw a chibi-style Nine-Tailed fox, via Aram of How To Draw For Kids.

Create a drawing of your favorite trickster and tell us about your creation in the comments below.

RAISING LUMINARIES

Raising Luminaries creates workshops, training, and educational resources for parents & caregivers igniting the next generation of kind & courageous leaders.

ABOUT | MISSION | FINANCIALS | ACCOUNTABILITY

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

STAY IN TOUCH

Get free weekly email notifications with toolkits, guides & little delights

FREE STUFF

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

SHOP

Posts may contain affiliate links and  sponsorships, which allow me to earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

AFFILIATE POLICY

PARTNERS IN CAHOOTS

TOPICS

CONTACT

RECIPROCATE

Collaborate with Raising Luminaries on an issue important to you.

You’re welcome to share & boost this toolkit, with attribution to Raising Luminaries.

IT'S STILL OKAY TO LAUGH

Hard conversations with humor & joy

Every month the Luminary Braintrust tackles a new member challenge to make talking about social justice easier in real life.

STEP 4: ASSESS YOUR CAPACITY

Step Into Your Power: Take Action

Whether it's time, money, or our voice - we all have something to contribute.

if you have $15

Support Indigenous Children's Access to Ancestral Stories

Indigenous Storytime provides wakanyeja (children) with access to indigenous culture and language to support a positive indigenous cultural identity.

if you have 10 minutes

Unite Against Book Bans

Children's book censorship targets the traditional and lived stories of BIPOC, LGBTQi2S+, disabled, and other people forced into silence and stigma. Learn how to advocate against censorship with in your local elections to end and prevent book bans motivated by bigotry.

If you have 5 friends

Amplify & Boost

Share this toolkit with 5 friends who would appreciate your help tackling these topics as a family.

DIG DEEPER

Bonus Resources

Share what worked for your family (and what didn't).

Add the resources you suggest in the comments below to help families like yours.

WATCH

Trickster Playlist

Collecting our favorite trickster stories for older kids & adults as we find good ones. Share your favorites in the comments.

Via Raising Luminaries

READ

Subverting Racist Gatekeeping in Kidlit

Zetta Elliott advocates for opportunities so under-represented creators can share their stories - and how to circumvent the gatekeepers who prefer us silent.

via Zetta Elliott

JOIN

Is Your Fave Kids Movie Problematic?

Join me as I unpack a new kids movie every week to celebrate diverse representation and rip apart problematic tropes.

via our Luminary Braintrust Membership Community

FLAUNT

Shake Whatcha Got

I couldn't resist making some subversive kids shirts out of our Rebel Baby Mobile graphics.

Grab a trickster t-shirt with Sun Wukong,' Nezha about to set shit on fire, or a pooping bunny. Your orders support my work on this toolkit.

Stay Curious, Stand Brave & Smash The Kyriarchy

Raising Luminaries reduces the workload on overworked caregivers
igniting the next generation of kind & courageous leaders

family jumping on bed

Ashia (they/them or she/her)

Raising Luminaries is founded & run by me, Ashia Ray – an Autistic, multiracial (Chinese/Irish) 2nd-generation settler raising two children alongside my partner on the homelands of the Wampanoag and Massachusett people. I support families and educators in raising the next generation of kind & courageous leaders, so we can all smash the kyriarchy together.

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RAISING LUMINARIES

Raising Luminaries creates workshops, training, and educational resources for parents & caregivers igniting the next generation of kind & courageous leaders.

ABOUT | MISSION | FINANCIALS | ACCOUNTABILITY

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

STAY IN TOUCH

Get free weekly email notifications with toolkits, guides & little delights

FREE STUFF

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

SHOP

Posts may contain affiliate links and  sponsorships, which allow me to earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

AFFILIATE POLICY

PARTNERS IN CAHOOTS

TOPICS

CONTACT

RECIPROCATE

Collaborate with Raising Luminaries on an issue important to you.

You’re welcome to share & boost this toolkit, with attribution to Raising Luminaries.

Raising Luminaries is anchored in the land of the Wampanoag & Massachusett People.
Support Wôpanâak early childhood education here.

©2024 Ashia Ray of Raising Luminaries™. All rights reserved.

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Photographs via Unsplash & Illustrations via Storyset, used with permission.

Raising Luminaries

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