How does this issue impact YOU and the people you care about?
STEP 1: 5 MINUTES
Get Curious: Pick A Story
Which stories and videos make you interested in learning more about this issue?
RAISING LUMINARIES
Hi, I’m Ashia, founder & Head Custodian of Infodumpery for Raising Luminaries.
I create free tool kits to help overworked caregivers ignite the next generation of leaders.
ABOUT | MISSION | FINANCIALS | ACCOUNTABILITY
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
STAY IN TOUCH
Get free monthly email notifications when I publish new Family Action Toolkits
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.
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.
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
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?
*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.
FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER
Tackle hard conversations with your kids
- one story at a time
Subscribe for Ignition Notes & get guided family discussions & toolkit updates each month.
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
Hi, I’m Ashia, founder & Head Custodian of Infodumpery for Raising Luminaries.
I create free tool kits to help overworked caregivers ignite the next generation of leaders.
ABOUT | MISSION | FINANCIALS | ACCOUNTABILITY
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
STAY IN TOUCH
Get free monthly email notifications when I publish new Family Action Toolkits
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.
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 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.
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
0
+
free resources
to reduce your workload
kid-tested toolkits spark connection with your kids, without the confusion & busywork of searching for resources.
0
+
hours saved
per toolkit
Each toolkit condenses over 41 hours of research, testing & outreach into a simple guide to enjoy with your kids.
0
monthly supporters
help me keep it up
Your $5 to $30 contributions cover my costs & labor - keeping these resources free for families who can't afford a paywall
Ashia (they/them or she/her)
I’m an Autistic, multiracial (Chinese/Irish) 2nd-generation settler raising two children alongside my partner on the homelands of the Wampanoag and Massachusett people. My goal with Raising Luminaries is to collaborate with families and educators in raising the next generation of kind & courageous leaders, so we can all smash the kyriarchy together.
Reciprocate & Contribute
Help me keep these resources free & accessible for all
Sustainable monthly contributions
66%
RAISING LUMINARIES
Hi, I’m Ashia, founder & Head Custodian of Infodumpery for Raising Luminaries.
I create free tool kits to help overworked caregivers ignite the next generation of leaders.
ABOUT | MISSION | FINANCIALS | ACCOUNTABILITY
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
STAY IN TOUCH
Get free monthly email notifications when I publish new Family Action Toolkits
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.
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.
©2023 Ashia Ray of Raising Luminaries™. All rights reserved.
This page may use affiliate referral links. We may earn a small commission if you choose to make an order using these links. Learn how we use affiliate links to support our community.
Photographs via Unsplash & Illustrations via Storyset, used with permission.