Gather Round the Fire of Inspiration & Imagination
The fire is a primal symbol that ignites dreams, hopes, and wishes of a community. This symbol is an invitation for all to come to the fire, to gather and feast on the creative works and artistic wealth of Aboriginal arts and artists at the 14th annual Talking Stick Festival presented by Full Circle First Nations Performance. This year’s festival takes place in venues throughout the city from February 17 – March 1, 2015 with national and international artists.
The festival provides an opportunity for Aboriginal people to share their stories and talents that encompass all areas of the performing arts from theatre, dance, drumming, and music to spoken word and multimedia performances. The artistic disciplines celebrate and honour the traditional Aboriginal culture and heritage and showcase the new evolving contemporary work of today’s artists.
“This years’ festival is not only an opportunity to gather and be together to experience the works of artists but also is a place to reflect on the past successes, discuss challenges, and to share hopes, dreams, and ideas to ensure the future is bright and burning with the energies of all our efforts,” stated Margo Kane, Artistic Managing Director.
On the music front, the festival is thrilled to have fearless and dynamic throat singer Tanya Tagaq performing at the York Theatre on Saturday February 28. Now Magazine deemed Tanya Tagaq’s concert at Toronto’s Great Hall the best concert of 2014, and CBC Music listed her hit album Animism at #2 among their 30 best Canadian albums of the year. Powerful and electrifying, don’t miss the opportunity to experience this incredible talent. Also performing the same evening is passionate singer/songwriter and soulful performer Leela Gilday. She has numerous awards, including a Juno, two Western Canadian Music Awards, and Aboriginal Female Entertainer of the Year, to name a few. Leela is from Yellowknife, NT with a voice that comes straight from the heart. Definitely a not-to-be-missed concert!
Generations will be another musical evening of emerging and contemporary musicians performing at the York Theatre on February 26, curated by Suzette Amaya. One of the featured artists is K.A.S.P., who is well known for his collaborations with DMC of the legendary RUN DMC, Moka Only, Chino XL and recently with Toronto’s Choclair. K.A.S.P’s focus has shifted his music to a whole new level, and he shares it with youth to motivate them to persevere no matter what happens in life. Originally from East Vancouver, his songs tell a story of his struggle and success in dedicating his life to his family, his community, and his people to show the youth that there is hope for a better today and brighter tomorrow.
The Roundhouse Community Centre will be the home for visual arts exhibition, the Contemporary Dance series and drama. For a theatrical experience, the festival is proud to present the hilarious and moving play Salt Baby, written by Falen Johnson and directed by Yvette Nolan. It is a comedy that explores what it means to look white but have Native ancestry, being invisibly ethnic raising questions about how we expect Aboriginal people to look.
To acknowledge a special friend to the Talking Stick Festival, there will be an evening of slam poetry dedicated to honouring spoken word poet Zaccheus Jackson, who died tragically last year. Jackson, a member of the Blackfoot nation, was born in Alberta and eventually ended up living in East Vancouver, where his drug addiction took hold and where he found a way to beat it. He performed at the festival a number of times and rose to prominence through spirited performances and incisive wordplay both personal and political, delivered with characteristic lighting quickness.
Again this year, the hugely successful and popular Workshops in Schools Series and the Professional Development Series will continue, nurturing future artists in the Aboriginal community.
Come to the Fire and experience a dynamic festival not to be missed: rich in all forms of the arts. For a full list of all performers and events visit Talking Stick Festival.
Tickets and festival passes are available with ticket ranging from $12 – $40, as well as Pay What You Can performances.
Our old elders tell us that our physical bodies are sacred tools or shells so that we can communicate with life around us and walk softly on Sacred Mother Earth, that our spirits are energy, and that our spirit energy never dies. The question is when did I start Sundancing; where did I start Sundancing; why is the Sundance good for me and Native people?
Sundancers Robertjohn Knapp and his son Michaelsun at ceremonies with Traditional Circle of Elders and Youth, Montana. Photo credit: Danny Beaton.
Years ago, I was on the Longest Walk—I think it was seventy-six or seventy-eight? Had my eldest son with me. We went all the way to Indianapolis. He was about six years old, and I turned around and came back to California to meet with Dennis Banks to tell him my experience, how the walk was going. After that there was a Sundance at DQ University in Northern California out of UC Davis, so I went there to dance. There were a couple of young boys with me, and my son and David Miller were with me. There were so many flies and fly crap everywhere that the whole camp was sick. The FBI had dug holes and threw all the watermelons in. The place was very dirty, so every one was sick including me; I could not hold anything down. After two days, I got in my truck and headed to Big Pine where Raymond Stone was.
I swore I’d never dance again, until I broke my neck. I broke my neck in 1982 and had to go through lots of stuff, in and out of hospitals, doctors, therapy, etc. Then I went to meet Raymond Stone, and he with several others began to work on me. It was in Yosemite Valley at Jay Johnson’s place. There we saw white deer, white coyote. There I got back into the sweat lodge; it was the first time that I could sit up again since I broke my neck—that’s what I remember back then. Back then Senator Goldwater in Arizona was going to use the national guard to take out the Navajo off the Big Mountain area. So the gift of being able to sit up in the sweat lodge again was me and David Miller driving over to Big Mountain Arizona, then we started to dance at the survival camp there.
Leonard Crow Dog, the medicine man for AIM, sponsored me to dance. When I got there, I asked Leonard if he needed another dancer and he said, “Yeah.” Leonard said, “What do you have” and I said “not much” so he asked one of his helpers to get me a skirt, then he asked me if I had a whistle, and I said “no” so he gave me an eagle whistle. He said, “Do you have a pipe?” and I said “yeah” so he said “okay.” I made my regalia parts, and I danced there until the end. I danced at the survival camp for a few years, and then went to Ana Mae’s, danced there until they tore it down, the Hopi and FBI and other police, county and state. Between them two places I danced over twenty years.
The question is why is the Sundance good for Native people? I have seen a lot of things over the years, and the Sundance is good for those who want to know themselves and the medicine that you’re praying for. I have danced for my mom; I have danced for my brothers, and they all died, but I danced for them to help them go on to the other side. I went there once. They told me I was supposed to die. Before the third day of dancing, I knew I was already better and cured. So its the same kind of question. It’s a good place; I seen good things and not good things; I seen people come there because they wanted notoriety or some other thing.
Left to right: Professor Francis Borella, Mount San Antonio University, California. Robertjohn Knapp. Professor Gina Lamb, Pitzer College, California. Photo by Danny Beaton.
The Sundance is one of the most powerful complete ceremonies I’ve ever seen or been in. There’s two things they talk about sacrificing in the Sundance, and I don’t believe that’s true, I believe the Sundance is an offering, and the difference between a sacrifice and offering is: sacrifice is when I throw you into the fire, an offering is when I go into the fire. So its very specific. So sacrificing is for somebody else. If you make an offering, you go in; you do it. So those are the offerings, and if your offering is pure enough, good enough, then the spirit world will respond to you. If you play, they play—that’s the way I see it. So you go there, and its never been easy. Grandpa use to say there are only two roads, the easy road and the hard road, and the easy road is like jumping off a cliff, and you fall and fall for twenty years and its really easy until you hit bottom. The hard road is that road up the mountain, and that hard road never ever changes, never gets easy, stays hard. It is we who change and therefore it’s not easier—that’s not the right word—but more successful in what you do. More whole in the things you do. More whole in what you do. So during the Sundance, if you’re taught right or maybe if you have an instinct or something where you can find out who you are, where you are, why you’re here. If you can use your mind in a good way, use your mind to make everything whole within yourself.
Leon use to come to the Sundance with me. I loved it when he was there with me. I loved all them guys I used to dance with and the women, even though there were others there doing other things, it was not for me to judge anyone. I seen behaviour there that was not conducive to those who were dancing for love, dancing for all the things, dancing to be a part of the whole, dancing to really know what you’re suppose to be doing here on Mother Earth. I danced for many kinds of things, and those things guide your life. Its not easy; it takes all year to save up enough money just to come back home. So it becomes a whole way of life, so you don’t do things that go against the natural world or life! You don’t hurt people either. Leon said “killing is Gods work,” so in that way a Sundance is good for those who enter into that special world. I remember bringing Shorty there when he was told he was gonna die, and the elders really helped him; they worked with him. We were the same age, but he still passed away. He went to the other side, but I think he went there much stronger, standing on his feet, and I think he went there with love in his heart.
From left to right: Sundancer Guero \ Al Sommers, Danny Beaton, and Robertjohn Knapp. Photo by Christine Knapp.
So what does this Sundance do? Is it for everybody? I think maybe they should be able to see it, but not in a very special way. I think they should see what real love is like and see those people who dance with their heart because they made that choice to do that, and they put their energy out there and shed their blood and suffered. The suffering is offered for everybody, for all people, for all things. They leave their flesh there; they leave their blood there. Then you see somebody negative and it makes you want to cry, makes you want to put your tears down where your blood is. At the same place—and those areas are sacred areas—they will never dig the coal from that ground. The Sundance was good for me because I learned who I was there, in relation to the whole and in relationship to Mother Earth and in relationship to all life. If I had any fear then, I don’t have any anymore. I am willing to do what it takes—to do whatever it takes, even when people hurt me, I try not to have hatred for them. In other words, I have been Sundancing every day of my life; it does not matter who the negative people are. They can’t hurt me any more than I put myself through, and I did it willingly and for my reasons. I learned pain is my friend and not to run away from it.
Well I seen things in the Sundance, all the rock paintings, all of that in the sun—I have seen everything in the sun. I could see what the old people saw, and it made me all the more stronger, all the more full of love for everything. I felt more complete when I danced with my son. When my son was there, what I felt for the first time dancing next to him trimming off the extra flesh is that I felt that I gave birth to my son. So one of the things was to know how a woman feels when giving birth, at least in that direction not by any stretch of the imagination, but it was the best I could do. So how do you do that? I don’t know… pray hard, talk to them. I seen them; I talked to them; I seen all kinds of stuff. So now there is nothing that can take me from what I do, where I am, or what I am doing—there is nothing they can do. I am who I am. I’m a Sundancer.
Over the past 20 years, the Indspire Awards have recognized Indigenous professionals and youth who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in a variety of different career categories. They motivate and serve as invaluable role models for all Indigenous youth across Canada.
This year’s recipients demonstrate vast skills and knowledge base, while each proudly represents their Indigenous identity. Not only has each one mastered their skill, they also continue to work towards the betterment of their communities and for Indigenous success across Canada.
Indspire Awards Recipients 2015
Arts
Ron E. Scott – Métis – Alberta
Ron is the founder, president, and executive producer of Prairie Dog Film and Television. He has received awards for many of his productions, including Blackstone, Mixed Blessings, Consequences, and various television specials. Blackstone has become one of the most watched programs on APTN, garnering 75 award nominations and winning 26. He has also traveled and spoken internationally at conferences and universities. Ron will often donate series and episodes to libraries across the country to add to class curriculums. Ron is a member of the Aboriginal Filmmakers Program at the National Film Board, and invests his time and energy in training Indigenous people on the sets of his shows to introduce them to the industry.
Business & Commerce
Brenda LaRose – Métis – Manitoba
Brenda started her own executive search firm, Higgins International, after seeing discrimination displayed toward her people at her previous job. But she saw qualities and huge potential in them and began placing them in leadership roles across Canada. Higgins was the first Indigenous business in Canada to receive the Gold-level Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) Award from the Canadian Council of Aboriginal Business (CCAB) in 2005, 2011, and 2014. With a proven track record for placing many of North America’s Indigenous executives at senior management, executive and board levels across a wide range of sectors and industries, Higgins has earned a reputation as the premier provider of Indigenous executive search services.
Culture, Heritage & Spirituality
Peter Irniq – Inuit – Nunavut
Peter is an Inuit cultural teacher who has lived most of his life in the Kivaliq Region of Nunavut. He was the executive assistant commissioner of the NWT from 1974 to 1975, then was elected to represent Keewatin Region for four years. He was named director of the Inuit Cultural Institute in 1992 and Director of Communications for Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated the following year. He was appointed Deputy Minister of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth with a mandate to be the guardian of traditional Inuit culture and language. Peter has also been recognized internationally for his artistic ability in designing inukshuks. His inukshuk for the 2010 Olympics was a highlight in Vancouver, and he has built Inukshuks in Paris, at Juno Beach in Normandy, in Buenos Aires, Mongolia, Washington D.C. and numerous other locations.
Education
Dr. Paulette C. Tremblay – First Nation: Mohawk – Ontario
Paulette has worked in the public sector for almost 40 years. Formerly she was the CEO for the National Aboriginal Health Organization from 2008 to 2011. She was the Director of Education at the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation from 2005 to 2008 and the Senior Administrative Officer for the Six Nations Council from 2002 to 2005. She has been a former professor at the Six Nations Polytechnic Institute, Algonquin College and the University of Ottawa. She was also the Director of Education for the Assembly of First Nations for five years. She has been a curriculum designer; educational, evaluation and training consultant for the private sector; a management instructor, consultant and policy analyst for the federal government; and a high school teacher and counselor. The author of many reports, articles and educational curricula, she became the Director of Education and Training for AFOA Canada in 2012. Since November 2012, she is serving as the National Advisory Committee Chair for the Purdy Crawford Chair at Cape Breton University, and as an Associate Professor with the Indigenous Knowledge Centre at Six Nations Polytechnic since October 2008.
Gerald has worked with the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University for over 27 years. His responsibility includes liaison with Indigenous groups in Canada and circumpolar. Gerald had worked extensively with Indigenous groups in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, and Nunavik. Gerald’s work with Indigenous groups primarily focus on establishing fisheries and marine education and training programs. Gerald helped developed Fisheries Development Training plans for Nunavut, Nunatsiavut, Innu Nation, Federation of Newfoundland Indians, and the Labrador Métis Nation. He worked very closely with Miawpukek First Nation in Conne River to develop and deliver a long-term fisheries and marine training program. The Marine Institute is increasing its presence across the north and strengthening partnerships with Indigenous communities. Gerald works to see youth gain employment in the fisheries sector and marine transport industry by bringing the training to those who would otherwise be unable to access the necessary education.
Health
William Julius Mussell – Skwah First Nation – British Columbia
Bill was the first of his community to graduate from high school, and the first of his cultural territory to graduate from university. He has held roles as Executive Director of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, founding chair of the Coqualeetza Cultural-Education Centre, co-founder of the Sal’i’shan Institute, President and Co-chair of the Native Mental Health Association of Canada, and Chair of the First Nation, Inuit, and Métis Advisory Committee to the Mental Health Commission of Canada. His research experience has focused primarily upon Indigenous social development, education, health, management, and mental health issues. He has 50 years of volunteer experience, including service on the executive of the North American Indian Brotherhood, leader and spokesperson of the Sto:lo First Nation, and treasurer and president of the Vancouver Indian Friendship Centre. He has worked to build bridges between traditional knowledge and mainstream ways of learning. He continues to serve as the principal educator of the Sal’i’shan Institute, a private, post-secondary education organization that specializes in health, education, mental health, addictions, and social development.
Law & Justice
Dr. Wilton Littlechild – Ermineskin Cree Nation – Alberta
Wilton has the distinction of being the first Treaty First Nation person to acquire his law degree from the University of Alberta in 1976. He also holds Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Physical Education, an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Alberta, and the Indigenous Peoples’ Counsel (IPC) designation. An avid sportsman and athlete, he has won more than 70 provincial, regional, national and international championships, was a founder of the North American Indigenous Games, and was selected as a torch bearer and ambassador for the 2010 Olympics. He has been inducted into seven sports Halls of Fame. Wilton served as a Member of Parliament from 1988 to 1993 for the riding of Wetaskiwin-Rimby, served on several senior committees in the House of Commons, and served as a parliamentary delegate to the United Nations. He was appointed as Honorary Chief for the Maskwacis Crees and also honoured by the Chiefs of the Confederacy of Treaty 7 and 8 First Nations as the International Chief for Treaty 6. Chief Littlechild is a dedicated advocate of the implementation of treaties between Indigenous peoples and the Crown, and a pioneer of the global Indigenous rights movement. He was recently honoured with the Alberta Order of Excellence.
Politics
Kim Baird – Tsawwassen First Nation – British Columbia
Kim was recently named to the Order of Canada named for showing “exemplary leadership and vision by negotiating and implementing the first modern treaty in the BC Treaty Negotiations Process.” She was the youngest woman chief elected to head the Tsawwassen First Nation, and was a key player in negotiating British Columbia’s first modern urban land treaty, the Tsawwassen Final Agreement. She served six terms as Chief from 1999 to 2012. She initiated the Tsawwassen Mills project, a commercial real estate development, on Tsawwassen First Nation lands, currently estimated to be a 780 million dollar project. She has currently been working as a consultant for industry and First Nation groups and recently participated in a leadership exchange in Washington for women in politics. Kim has received a number of prestigious awards, including a honourary doctorate degree from Simon Fraser University, Kwantlen Polytechnic University Distinguished Alumni Award, Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 Award, the National Aboriginal Women in Leadership Distinction Award, Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Award, and more. She was appointed to the Premier’s Aboriginal Business Investment Council and the Minister’s Advisory Council on Aboriginal Women. Kim is the owner of Kim Baird Strategic Consulting.
Public Service
Madeleine Redfern – Inuit – Nunavut
Madeleine began her career as a businesswoman with a retail store in Ottawa, and began her extensive volunteering as President of the Tunngasuvvingat Inuit Community Centre, founding member of the Wabano Aboriginal Health Centre and the Ottawa Inuit Head Start programs. Following law school graduation, she became the first Inuit law clerk to clerk for the Supreme Court of Canada. In 2010, she became the Mayor of Iqaluit, and served for two years. Along with her positions with Ajungi Arctic Consulting and as Chair of the Legal Services Board, she also serves as an Advisory Board Member with Canadian Lawyers Abroad, as recent mentor with the Trudeau Foundation, and as a Northern Representative to EcoJustice Canada.
Sports
Gino Odjick – Kitigan Zibi First Nation – Quebec
Gino is a former National Hockey League player, and spent 12 seasons in the NHL, from 1990–1991 to 2001–2002 for the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens, andVancouver Canucks, where he became known as the “Algonquin Enforcer” for his fighting prowess. Since retiring from the NHL in 2002, he has focused his energies on being a positive role model for Indigenous youth. He has delivered workshops around the province on issues such as bullying, effective communication skills, relationship building, and goal setting. In June 2014, it was revealed that he was diagnosed with AL amyloidosis, a rare, terminal disease which affects the heart. His fans have been very supportive, setting up a trust fund for his care to help his family be close to him while he is in hospital. Additional funds will also go towards funding programs for Indigenous education and health. His words for the youth with whom he works: “I am just a little old Indian boy who grew up on the Rez. If I can do it any one can do it; it just takes work.”
Youth: First Nation
Kendal Netmaker – Sweetgrass First Nation – Saskatchewan
Kendal is the owner and founder of thriving clothing company Neechie Gear. He developed his business plan while completing two degrees in Arts and Education at the University of Saskatchewan and, after participating in several business competitions, he had received thousands of dollars in start-up capital to launch his company. Neechie Gear is a lifestyle apparel brand that empowers youth through sports. A portion of profits help underprivileged kids to play sports. Kendal has received both entrepreneurial and chamber of commerce awards. To date, his company has contributed over $15,000 in donations and has helped over 2,500 youth across Canada take part in sports.
Youth: Inuit
Jordan Konek – Inuit – Nunavut
Jordan is a bilingual video journalist and reporter/editor for CBC North and has his own production company, Konek Productions. He developed his company while working as a researcher with the Nanisiniq Arviat History Project, filming activities related to the project in Yellowknife, Vancouver, and Ottawa. As co-director and co-producer, he hopes that this initiative will be an inspiration to Inuit youth. In 2011, he attended the COP 17 United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Durban, South Africa and spoke at an international press conference about the Inuit perspective on climate change. An advocate for climate change, he also presented his work at the latest Inuit Studies Conference at the Smithsonian Institute and was a speaker at the International Polar Year conference in Montreal in 2011. He has also worked with the Canadian Rangers, assisting with the junior rangers program in Arviat, Nunuvut.
Youth: Métis
Gabrielle Fayant – Métis – Alberta
Gabrielle is the co-founder of a youth-led and youth-driven organization called Assembly of Seven Generations (A7G) and Program Manager of an economic youth program called ReachUp! North in partnership with Digital Opportunity Trust. She has worked for a number of National Aboriginal Organizations such as the National Association of Friendship Centres, Native Women’s Association of Canada, and the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, and has experience on a number of local, regional, and national advisory committees and councils, such as the Canadian Commission of UNESCO’s Youth Advisory Group, Ottawa Youth Engagement Committee, and Walking With Our Sisters Ottawa Youth Committee. Gabrielle also serves as a board member for the Odawa Native Friendship Centre, and she sings with a female drum group called Spirit Flowers and as backup for a men’s drum group called O-Town Boyz.
Lifetime Achievement
Elsie Yanik – Métis – Alberta
Elsie received an honorary Law Degree from the University of Alberta in April 2014. She has spent most of her long life spreading kindness, preserving Indigenous heritage and promoting health and education in her community. She began work as a nurse’s aide at 17 and has spent 80 years spreading kindness as a minister, mentor and volunteer. Her community commitment has included terms as president of the board of Voice of Native Women of Alberta, 10 years of service with the Young Offenders Board, and work with the Nunee Health Authority in Fort Chipewyan. Her efforts have earned her a blessing from Pope John Paul II, a Governor General’s Commemorative Medal, and the duty of Olympic torch-bearer for the 2010 Winter Games. At 97, she still works with Keyano College as an elder and occasionally teaches classes at the Golden Years’ Society. She has received numerous honours from her community.
Learn More or Nominate For Next Year
You can learn more about our past recipients by visiting the Previous Laureates page. If you know someone and would like to nominate them for an Indspire Award, visit our Nominations page for more information.
Remembrance Day is a much respected and revered day of reflection at the Royal BC Museum, and for 2014 it’s all the more so, with the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War.
A series of special events and educational experiences, organized with the help of community partners, will help mark the occasion and explore how the First World War impacted British Columbia and its citizens.
Starting on Wednesday, Nov. 5, the Royal BC Museum will host a series of events to explore stories of the Great War through the emotive power of the written word and song. Most presentations will take place in Clifford Carl Hall and are free.
On November 5, Live @ Lunch: The Great War of 1914-1918: British Columbia Vignettes will feature Royal BC Museum Curator of History Lorne Hammond sharing stories on the contribution of British Columbians to the First World War and the conflict’s impact on our province. Event begins at noon.
That same evening, come out to the Royal BC Museum from 7 to 8 pm as a team of librarians and a Royal BC Museum curator speed review as many First World War-related books and films as they can during Booksmack at the Royal BC Museum.
The Community Speaker’s Series: World War 1 – A Local Perspective on Saturday, Nov. 8 will see a wide range of local experts speak to war, commemoration and remembrance from 1 to 3 pm.
Author Robert Taylor will kick off the series with The Ones Who Have to Pay: The Soldiers – Poets of Victoria, BC in the Great War, a look at poetry written by local soldiers and sent to Victoria newspapers and journals from the front lines, revealing some of the popular attitudes towards war, masculinity, the British Empire and the city a century ago.
Starting at 1:30 pm, military historian Paul Ferguson will take guests on a journey of commemoration with his talk, In That Distant Land: Touring the Great War. This discussion will assist those interested in visiting war sites of memory, from Tyne Cot to Vimy, Thiepval to Hill 60, Ypres and others.
A little known chapter of Victoria war history will be revealed by military historian and novelist Sidney Allison as he speaks on The Bantams: Victoria’s Unknown Soldiers at 2 pm. Among the 10 military units recruited in Victoria was the now virtually unknown 143rd Overseas Battalion, better known as the “Bantams” because the unit was made up of 700-odd men who were below the army’s minimum requirements for height. Learn more about the fate of this unit through Allison’s talk.
To finish off the Community Speaker’s Series, Victoria Genealogy Society Ambassador Joanne Barnard will present William Rochfort: A Victoria Architect Goes to War, following the path of Rochfort from renowned architect (he designed the Royal Theatre and the Royal Victoria Yacht Club clubhouse) to the theatre of war in Europe, and back home again.
Commemorations continue Sunday, Nov. 9 with Lest We Forget: A Musical Tribute to The Great War, featuring the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy as they play a musical tribute to the era of the First World War. This free performance is part of the Victoria Symphony’s “Lest We Forget” concert series.
On Remembrance Day itself, the Victoria Children’s Choir will visit the Royal BC Museum to perform music on themes of war and peace, including songs from the times of both World Wars, patriotic Canadian tunes and more recent compositions expressing the common desire for peace.
This award-winning choir, founded by Artistic Director Madeleine Humer, comprises about 50 talented singers aged eight to 17, known for their performances of wide-ranging repertoire both around Victoria and on tour. The choir will perform from 12:30 to 12:45 pm and from 1:45 to 2 pm.
Also performing that day will be the Story Theatre Company, which has teamed up with the Royal BC Museum to present The Call Goes Out, a collection of music, songs and poetry from the First World War era mixed with letters from the young men who travelled overseas to the trenches.
Both script and music have a British Columbian flair, through letters from the BC Archives written by local soldiers. This 30-minute presentation, running at 1 and 2:15 pm, brings back the efforts and sacrifices made by British Columbians. The Call Goes Out is an expression of our respect for those who answered it.
In addition to these events, the digitization and online publishing of 5,000 pages of letters and diaries from the BC Archives related to the First World War continues, allowing access to these important materials for all in British Columbia. This online component will also include a pilot crowd-sourced transcription project, one of the first of its kind in Canada.
For more information on these and other events please visit royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
About the Royal BC Museum
The Royal BC Museum explores the province’s human history and natural history, advances new knowledge and understanding of BC, and provides a dynamic forum for discussion and a place for reflection. The museum and archives celebrate culture and history, telling the stories of BC in ways that enlighten, stimulate and inspire. Looking to the future, by 2017 the Royal BC Museum will be a refreshed, modern museum, extending its reach far beyond Victoria as a world-class cultural venue and repository of digital treasures.
There are only so many of those instances that you wish you could seal up in a jar. They’re those extraordinary instances. The ones that you wish you could go back to, and that always seem to pull the edges of your mouth into a grin when taken into recollection. Shambhala Music Festival, an annual outdoor electronic music festival held in the forest surrounding Salmo River Ranch, BC during the second weekend of August, is definitely one of those very few, and very far in-between, instances.
In short, the best way to see the beauty that is Shambhala is experiencing it for oneself. The seventeen-year running festival seamlessly manages to gather thousands of fans, both veteran and new, for an enlightening three-days of peace, camping, music, and pure ‘Shamba-love’. To provide a vibe for each of the six unique sham-stages, this years’ organizers delivered a more than exceptional line-up. From the likes of Nispissing Anishnabe group A Tribe Called Red, to the biotic sounds of Plantrae, to EDM pioneers Bassnectar and Moby, each of the 150+ artists roused the stages, performing revolutionary sets from dusk till dawn the entire weekend.
Surrounded by the lush landscape of interior BC’s cedar forests, in the company of a crowd teeming with spiritual resonance, we got a chance to catch up with A Tribe Called Red during their second show of the weekend. Throughout their set at the Ampitheatre stage, the Juno-award winning group ignited their renowned electric pow-wow, spinning favourites from their record Nation II Nation, and presenting freshly produced beats. Traditional dancer James Jones embellished the trios urban indigenous anthems with both ancestral and contemporary foot-work.
“The crowd always gets really into it,” smiles Jones. “A lot of them come up to me after the show and say they see animals and spirits when I dance”. Along with his solo dancing, Jones generated a mini-roundance with listeners on-stage, inviting them to embrace in a moment of first-nation tradition as deep bass, accompanied by samples of traditional drumming and singing, amplified the Ampitheatre stage.
“There really is a cultural exchange going on,” says A Tribe Called Red’s Thomas Ehren Ramon, DJ Bear Witness, after their set. “We’re exposing the audience to something that they haven’t been exposed to before, and the audience really respects us for that.” For festival go-ers, both of A Tribe Called Red’s shows were distinguished as core Shambhala highlights, especially because of their ability to initiate an urban indigenous experience and invite everyone to join in on the dance.
Although, believe it or not, the music at Shambhala is just the beginning of what the festival has to offer. Everything from the incredible food choices – including local free-range burgers and vegan pad Thai – to the vibrant marketplace – full of merchants providing festival-goers with clothing, jewelry, artwork, and more – there really is never anything not to do during the weekend. This years non-music features included daily live paintings, yoga by the river, seesha lounges, oxygen bars, tea-houses, river-floats, mountain hikes, spiritual showcases, visual arts, mini-plays, on-site barbers, safety sanctuaries, multiple tree-houses, and many other unique activities that combine to create the Shambha-loving community that the festival has come to cultivate over the years. It doesn’t stop there, though.
Along with the vast community of merchants and showcases, there’s one simple ingredient that ties the festival together: the people. Or rather, the family. All the way from the ones that spend an entire year sewing and creating their shambha-wardrobe, to the ones that bring nothing but a couple pairs of shorts and the bare essentials. Everyone belongs. Perhaps it’s the close proximity camping. Perhaps it’s the perpetual pass-by greeting ‘Happy Shambhala’. It may even be the bounteous take-it-and-leave-its scattered along the trails of the forest. Regardless, the people – the family – they’re the ones that create that vibin’ Shamba-community. A community that embraces all of those little oddities, garners personal and spiritual growth, and accepts each and every individual for who they have become and are becoming, inside and out.
“I see these festivals as a gateway for folks coming from a more dominant culture and head-space,” articulates neo-folk artist Plantrae. “They come to be exposed to something that is a bit more different and creative.” Talking with Plantrae before his set, it became clear that his personal views, along with many other artists performing at Shambhala, deeply reflect the earthy and conscious expanding philosophies that the festival builds a foundation for itself upon. It’s a kind of universal philosophy. A philosophy that bridges and connects everyone at the festival.
“All music, and all different cultures around the world, comes out of those peoples’ relationship with the earth,” says Plantrae. “You see, we can have a relationship with the earth just as individuals, and then we can form kind of our own personal relationship with it. Here, we’re creating a new culture for ourselves individually, one that is just as authentic as any other. A culture that has come out of the earth, and that is very new. That’s the only culture I have that is really authentic and intact, and that’s where I draw my inspiration from.” Plantrae’s pre-produced organic whomps, whobbles, and drips of bass, accompanied by live improvisation from the strings of his viola, truly enchanted the Grove stage, energizing and captivating the sets attendees.
As the weekend came to a close, festival attendees packed up their gear and went their own ways, taking with them the sweet reminisce of what they just experienced. And it is these kind of experiences, these instances, these new perspectives and views and people and the everythings in-between that creates Shambhala. Shapes it as an instance that you wish could be sealed up in a jar. That is why Shambhala Music Festival highlights the pinnacle of what music festivals have to offer, and maximizes itself as, in our opinion, one of Canada’s most enriching and self-nurturing festivals to go to.
Tickets for next years festival go on sale on November 1st, so check out their website (http://www.shambhalamusicfestival.com/) and join in the countdown until the next annual Shambhala Music Festival. We promise, it’s an experience you won’t want to miss.
What beats a summer day spent basking in a breezy heat, bobbing your head to live music acts, spread out on a lush oasis of grass? Very little. Outdoor music festivals are always in bloom throughout the summer, welcoming music lovers, musicians, or anyone looking for a reprieve from the stresses that daily life can create. Catching up with a couple bands at the Calgary Folk Music Festival at the end of July, it was nice to get the artists perspective on music festivals.
“Playing live, to me, is continuing the conversation started by the record,” says Tony Dekker of the Great Lake Swimmers, a folk group based out of Toronto. The band has been travelling throughout Western Canada for the first little bit of summer, playing concerts and taking part in headlining various folk festivals. “It’s very inspiring, summertime through the rockies. Alberta is a beautiful part of Canada, and gives me idea’s for our music,” says Dekker. “Our music is not really ‘get up on your feet’ kind of music, though. [Instead], people really appreciate our respite from the ‘made from radio pop-music’. We have something that cuts a little deeper, and that, I think, people come to really respect.”
It is quite clear that their travelling heavily influences the music they create, and listeners would come to agree that the earth, the wild, and the outdoors is reflected in each twang and string of lyrics produced by the Great Lake Swimmers. Listening to them at the Calgary Folk Fest, it is apparent that they successfully generated this tone, which perfectly reflected the philosophy of the Calgary Folk Fest: “a genre-defying… festival” presenting “… fiercely independent, creative troubadours and master instrumentalists”.
Though, music festivals invite listeners of all tempo’s and preferences. If you feel like letting your hair loose, clapping your hands, and swiveling your hips, there’s an artist that ignites just that. This is what makes festivals unique to not only the artists, but to the audience: there’s a little bit of everything for everyone. “I love the audience! Fishbone has always had a fine attachment to moving the crowd,” remarks Norwood Fisher, bassist and original member of 1980 ska band Fishbone. The group has been moving crowds throughout North America this summer, touring with brother bands Slightly Stoopid, NOFX, and Stephen Marley. Playing at the Calgary Folk Fest, Fisher gave the crowd a throwback to the underground world of ska during the 80’s, and even shed some light on the differences of performing back then, to performing now. “I became a teenager in a time where punk-rock was brand new, and punk-rock said ‘anybody can and should be able to do this if you had a desire’. To pick up a guitar, write a song, and express yourself. Hip-hop came right along with it on the other side, saying pretty much the same things. Though, it said in a little different way where ‘people were making something out of nothing’. They said ‘we don’t have money to buy guitars and drums, and we’re going to use what we have: turntables, etc’,” nods Fisher. “But now, you know, we write music on computers by ourselves sometimes… Back then it used to be we always would jam something up, improvise and use the void of nothing as our true point of creation. So yeah, there are differences, but even through the differences there are parts that are the same. See, there will always be that part of us that remains true to the roots that we laid down for ourselves, yet there’s always new experiences and new ideas changing us all the time.” They truly did stick to their roots, creating live improvisation an authentic ska-vibe on stage at the Calgary Folk Fest, which sparked the ears and shook the hips of the all attendee’s at the festival.
Want to check out Great Lake Swimmers or Fishbone? Great Lake Swimmers will be gracing eastern Canada at the Peterborough Folk Fest on August 23rd, as well as a show in Morrisburg, Ontario on September 20th.. Fishbone, on the other hand, will be playing shows throughout the United States and South America. For more information on those shows, just visit their website www.fishbone.net.
Delphine Derickson and Astrolabe Musik Theatre Artistic Director, Heather Pawsey – photo Darren Hull
Vancouver, BC – Astrolabe Musik Theatre & Turning Point Ensemble (TPE), in collaboration with Westbank First Nation, proudly present the world premiere production of The Lake / n-ha-a-itk – August 15-17 at Quails’ Gate Winery in Kelowna, BC, in a fully-integrated evening of historical Canadian opera and contemporary syilx culture. Composed in 1952 by Barbara Pentland, with libretto by Governor-General Award-winning poet Dorothy Livesay, the Canadian chamber opera is based on the true-life story of pioneer Susan Allison, who sighted Lake Okanagan’s famous creature, na-ha-a-itk (Ogopogo), one stormy autumn day in 1873.
Turning Point Ensemble, under the expert direction of stage director James Fagan Tait and music director Owen Underhill, is joined by an incredible cast including soprano Heather Pawsey as Susan Allison, Westbank First Nation elder/singer Delphine Derickson, bass baritone Angus Bell, tenor Brian Kwangmin Lee, mezzo-soprano Barbara Towell, and Westbank First Nation dancer Corrine Derickson, with Curatorial and Heritage Researcher Jordan Coble, and youth from Westbank First Nation.
“I discovered The Lake in 1995, as I searched the Canadian Music Centre library for an aria for the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition,” says Heather Pawsey, Artistic Director of Astrolabe Musik Theatre. “I would go on to perform the previously unknown piece and place first in the competition, but I knew this was only the beginning. We are honoured to finally give this work the world premiere staging it deserves – and overjoyed to do so on the very grounds where the original events transpired: the traditional territory of the syilx/Okanagan people, with whom we have a meaningful and respectful collaboration, and Quails’ Gate Winery, the Allison family’s original 1873 “Sunnyside” ranch.”
Commissioned by an Ontario-based organist in 1951, Pentland and Livesay conducted deep research in crafting The Lake: visiting Susan Allison’s log cabin, interviewing residents who had known the family, and drawing on local First Nations stories. The completed work was never presented by the commissioner however, and – except for a 1954 radio broadcast on CBC – slipped into obscurity.
In giving The Lake / na-ha-a-itk its full production premiere, Astrolabe & TPE re-introduce a milestone creation in the iconic Canadian composer’s development. Stylistically, the chamber opera marks a transitional period where Pentland’s lyrical Coplandinfluenced approach began to merge with growing interest in serial music. Music Director Owen Underhill states, “It is especially rewarding to collaborate with Westbank First Nation and embed the opera into a performance that is inclusive of syilx culture and additional songs and dances created for these performances.”
To bring this work to life, Astrolabe & TPE have partnered with Quails’ Gate Winery, site of Susan Allison’s still-standing homestead (wine reception, dinner, and brunch packages will be available, in addition to show-only tickets). The fully integrated evening of opera and contemporary cultural expressions from the syilx people is set amidst the vineyard with the magnificent outdoor backdrop of Lake Okanagan.
Astrolabe Musik Theatre was founded by Artistic Director and soprano Heather Pawsey. The company is committed to presenting multi- and interdisciplinary collaborations, particularly with Canadian creators and performers. Astrolabe is passionate about commissioning and performing new works by Canadian artists in non-traditional venues, and dedicated to the dynamic and active engagement of audiences through innovative programming and the creation of new experiences through site-specific venues.
Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Turning Point Ensemble is a large chamber ensemble (core 18 instrumentalists) recognized for its outstanding musicianship. Founded in 2002 by its musician members, Turning Point has a mandate to increase the understanding and appreciation of music composed during the past hundred years. The ensemble has built a strong reputation for linking seminal 20th century repertoire to contemporary works through thoughtful programming and innovative presentations. Uniquely and flexibly sized between a small chamber ensemble and a symphonic orchestra, Turning Point Ensemble presentations offer a symphonic palette with a chamber music sensibility.
Astrolabe Musik Theatre & Turning Point Ensemble present
The Lake / na-ha-a-itk
Date: August 15 & 16 at 8pm; August 17 at 2pm
Address: Quails’ Gate Winery, 3303 Boucherie Road, West Kelowna, BC V1Z 2H3
Ticket prices: Adults: $45 / Students: $25
Reception, Dinner & Quails’ Gate Wine Pairings, and Brunch Packages Available
June 21, 2014 – Urban Poling Inc. is proud to announce that Winnipeg artist Jordan Stranger, of Peguis First Nation, is the winner of the company’s national Spirit Pole Design Contest.
The contest invited Aboriginal youth from across Canada to submit original artwork for the latest special edition of Urban Poling Nordic walking poles (think cross-country skiing without the skis on sidewalks & city parks). The award included a cash prize and 10 pairs of the Spirit Poles for the winner’s community. Stranger, a 25-year-old Red River College graphic design graduate, works as an advertising designer for Pattison Outdoor Advertising.
His colourful design features a majestic elk with long legs that extend the length of the poles.
“The yellow, green and blue represent the sky, earth and water, and the Elk represents the strength we need to walk, run and climb through life,” says Stranger.
Urban Poling co-owner Mandy Shintani developed a strong interest in First Nation health while working as an occupational therapist with B.C.’s Squamish First Nation several years ago.
“One of my longstanding goals has been to provide effective and inexpensive tools and programs that make it easier for Aboriginal people to achieve their health and wellness goals,” says Shintani.
Many health promoters and community leaders within Aboriginal communities have completed the Urban Poling Instructor Certification Program and offer Urban Poling programs through their local community centres.
In partnership with the National Aboriginal Diabetes Association (NADA), Urban Poling is also helping to fight diabetes with a diabetes activity and education online program.
96 Research shows that compared to standard walking, Nordic walking burns more calories, reduces joint pain, strengthens upper body and core muscles, and helps manage blood sugar levels.
Urban Poling is proud to share a percentage of Spirit Pole sales with NADA and the Canadian Diabetes Association.
ABOUT URBAN POLING INC.:
Vancouver-based Urban Poling Inc. designs and distributes 4 types of unique walking poles, all with ergonomic and easy-to-manage strapless handles. It is the largest Nordic walking pole company in Canada and offers the only Nordic walking instructor training program recognized by Canada’s largest seven largest fitness organizations.
MAÏNA, a Union Pictures film produced by Canadian director Michele Poulette, has been creating quite the buzz with award winning accolades during its screening at festivals, including a world premiere at the Shanghai film festival.
The movie takes place prior to European contact and is about how two cultures meet: the Inuit and the Innu. The story follows a young Innu woman, Maina, portrayed by actress Roseanne Supernault, who sets out to rescue her young friend Nipka who has been captured by Inuit hunters. The Inuit hunters at first set out for a peaceful meeting with the Innu, but the meeting turns into a confrontation after one of the Innu tribe members becomes jealous over an Inuit hunter having eyes for Maina, whom the Innu man is hoping will be his wife. The Inuit hunters decide to capture the young boy (Nipka) as their hostage. Maina made a promise to Nipka’s dying mother that she will take care of her son and take him as her own son. Maina sets out to rescue little Nipka, and in the process becomes a hostage herself of the Inuit Hunters and in a strange twist of fate, falls in love. It is a raw look at the Inuit and Innu cultures and reveals the fear and the misconception those cultures have for one another. In the film, the Inuit believe that when the Innu have nothing to eat during the winter, they eat their children, but they soon find out they’re not very different from each other.
Poulette, says that he was introduced to MAÏNA by one of his colleagues and became obsessed for about two years trying to make this story into a movie. “Let’s make it clear: I always loved ‘popular movies,’ in the noble sense of it. I mean films where the storytelling is, so good that you keep the audience’s attention all the way through, and at the end, the audience falls for the character, keeps thinking about them during the weeks and then months later,” said Poulette. “So I had been introduced to MAÏNA by a producer friend who wanted to produce it. But the project didn’t fly for a while. And I realized I was already in love with this project and these characters. So I took an option and decided to start producing it (this is why I am also Executive producer). To do so, I involved the two groups.”
For the first time in Canadian film history, two Aboriginal communities, Innu First Nation from Mingan, Quebec and the Kuujjuaq Inuit people, financed this movie, which also premiered in both places. “These two chiefs, Chief Piétacho from Mingan and Leader Pita Aatami from Kuujjuaq, decided to do it because of their youth,” said Poulette. “They were witnessing their language and culture disappearing and wanted to do something about it.” Chief Piétacho said, “For the first time on the big screen, our population is looking at herself, speaking our own language.” Inuit Leader Pita Attami wanted to open his population to the world, and this movie was a great occasion to do so.
Poulette says that both communities are very happy with the results. “Best example happened after the Première in Kuujjuaq: three girls told us that they had been moved by what they saw. Seeing themselves on the screen was a real gift for them and a reason to be proud.” Poulette says that this is a part of their own story that only few persons know because most of the time the story is told from a European’s view. “We hired anthropologists, invited other peoples to listen to their comments, had cultural advisers on board; we had language coaches on set. Then we found the best location: Mingan Islands. I wanted to oppose the beauty of the nature on the ‘south part’ and oppose it to the icy desert of the north.”
Poulette’s decision to pick Roseanne Supernault for the lead role of Maina was the best choice he could have made. “It was pretty easy to direct Roseanne Supernault, and she had the whole movie on her shoulders, and she succeeded with grace. In fact, after a while I started calling her ‘Miss Emotions’ because after few seconds of discussion she was nailing down the scene. This was a real pleasure.” Supernault is from East Prairie Metis Settlement near High Prairie, Alberta and has worked on APTN’s series Blackstone, and played the lead role in “Rhymes For Young Ghouls,” which was featured as one of the Toronto International Film Festival’s Top 10 films. Most recently, she won Best Actress at the American Indian Film Festival for MAÏNA. “Maina is a very physical character, and I made sure to play her in a modern contemporary way. When I say this I mean I was hyper aware of what I had been given from the universe,” said Supernault. “I didn’t want this romanticized image that has been recycled and perpetuated in Hollywood. I didn’t want to do the same old song and dance; it has been done over and over again. I wanted people to see the humanity. I didn’t want that ‘noble savage’ bullshit or telling romanticized junk.”
Supernault says she thinks why the film turned out the way it did because Aboriginal people were on board from start to finish working with the director. “I am so glad Michel Poulette was authentic to our people. He approached Inuit and the Innu people and asked them, ‘Do you want to fund this film project.’ I mean, its not rocket science. We had cultural advisers throughout the shoot of the film; it was awesome. Nobody is doing this, and I think it’s groundbreaking in that sense.” She saw her character Maina as someone who had deep cultural resonance and the only reason why she is going do something is because her spirit guide was presenting it to her. Supernault saw the humour and toughness in Maina, and she wanted that part of her character to be seen also, aside from her commitment to rescue and save Nipki.
Uapeshkuss Thernish is the young Innu actor who plays Nipki, and veteran actors Graham Greene and Tantoo Cardinal are in supporting roles as Mania’s parents, the Chief Mishtenapeu and the spiritual medicine woman Tekahera. Supernault says that working with Cardinal and Graham was a great artistic experience, and she learned a lot through both actors. “I’ve known Tantoo for about three years, and we’ve been in a couple projects together. She is actually a mentor of mine. Tekahera is this very powerful woman, and I have to say when they cast Tantoo, they made the right choice. Graham taught me so many tricks of the trade that I wasn’t aware of; he’s old school, very grounded and creative, a hands-on present actor, and professional.” She said that Greene brings a dynamic to each scene that wouldn’t be there if he wasn’t cast. “There were so many times that he went above and beyond as an actor and pushed the story along, and I absorbed that. He showed me how not to have an ego, how to stay out of the way, and how sometimes your creativity is necessary to push the film along. Having Graham on board was instrumental in pushing the film to the finish line.”
MAÏNA is currently on its western Canadian release at select theatres and will be featured at the Adaka Cultural Film Festival in Whitehorse, Yukon from June 27 to July 3.
Screening Dates
The Globe Cinema – Calgary, AB – June 7-13
Regina Rainbow Art Cinema – Regina, SK – June 13-19
Magic Lantern, Saskatoon Roxy – Saskatoon, SK – June 13-19
Summer Solstice Aboriginal Festival – Ottawa, ON – June 20-21
Kamloops, BC – June 20 – 27
Kelowna, BC – June 20 – 27
Edmonton (Clareview), AB – June 20 – 27
Country Hills, Calgary, AB – June 20 – 27
Whitby, ON – June 20 – 27
Mississauga, ON – June 20 – 27
Kanata, ON – June 20 – 27
Sidney Stars Cinema – Sidney, BC – July 4-11
Adaka Cultural Film Festival – Whitehorse, YK – June 27-July 3
Fort McMurray, AB – (weekend special screening) – TBD
The 17th annual Shambhala Music Festival features its most powerful lineup to date including Bassnectar, Griz, Moby DJ, Skream, Beats Antique, Paper Diamond, Justin Martin, Phaeleh, Gorgon City and more—over 300 acts in all.
As one of the longest running electronic music festivals in North America, this internationally famed gathering has become an institution in both the festival world and that of electronic music. This year’s lineup also includes the sultry sounds of J. Phlip, Odesza, Christian Martin, EOTO, Lucent Dossier Experience, Opiuo, Hannah Wants, plus a slew of other industry leading, genre-defying producers.
Shambhala Music Festival returns to the wooded mountainous awe of the 500-acre Salmo River Ranch near Nelson, BC from August 6th-11th on their privately owned, immaculately artistic landscape (Google Maps). What has become one of the most beloved venues in the world, natural and man-made features collide to create a unique environment for infinite exploration including six individually curated stages with their own aural and visual schemas, swimming in the river, yoga sessions, and several surprise speakers.
The permanent and serene nature of the venue allows for its year-long development and perpetual growth instead of the typical build up, tear down festival model. This finely sculpted environment is set within the overarching perpetuation of community, connection and sustainability.
As an event which has had an invaluable impact on the progression of electronic music and festivals alike, the Shambhala Music Festival represents a point of departure from the typical understanding of creative communities. By upholding its intimate form, the gathering is able to deliver a uniquely curated window into the most transformative sounds and sights on the planet. Through a synthesis of expertly crafted sensory experience, the festival stands apart as veterans in what is now an internationally explosive scene.
Shambhala Music Festival just released a teaser video which highlights the high-energy wonder of the event, which was recently named one of The BPM’s Top 5 Festivals to Watch in 2014.
Tickets are on sale now, so grab yours while you can and stay connected for more info!
