Storyweaving – Weaving First Nation Memories from Past into the Future in Vancouver
Sliding scale $0-$20 / Pay at the door only / Limited Seating / First Come First Serve
604-628-5672,
www.vancouvermovingtheatre.com
heartofthecityfestival.com
vafcs.org
Twining together stories, poems and personal memories
With oral histories woven from cultural teachings,
West Coast dances and the ancient bone game of Slahal.
A cast of aboriginal artists, elders, dancers and Downtown Eastside community members help an old man- The Old One – open up to his life’s journey, his regrets and hopes, through the teachings of the medicine wheel. His journey home gives voice to experiences of the urban aboriginal community, to voices not heard, to lives left behind. Over the course of the Old One’s journey, ancestral memories emerge of the history of the Coast Salish area shared by many peoples. Songs, dances and stories are shared about traditional roles, protocols and ways of seeing and doing.
We hear echoes of the salmon fishing industry’s decline, of families broken up by the residential school system and family members who have disappeared. And we hear stories of resilience: Aboriginal men and women who arrived in Vancouver looking for work; the founding of the Coqualeetza Fellowship and Aboriginal Friendship Centre; and what it means to be Aboriginal today, meeting the challenges of walking in the world of the ancestors and the world of today.
Storyweaving is about giving voice to those that have lived within and around the Canadian legislation of the Indian Act. And so many of us moved to the city of Vancouver and found a home here. Our social justice and educational efforts from the 1950’s through to today continue to reflect our passion for life, love, and harmony. Storyweaving is about our hopes for a good future, guided by the principles of our cultural past. Renae Morriseau
Featuring, among others: Bob Baker, Sam Bob, Jenifer Brousseau, Nick Dangeli, Mike and Mique’l Dangeli, Craig Edes, Wes Nahanee, Woody Morrison, Quelemia Sparrow, Susan Tatoosh, Marge C. White, Loni Williams, Spakwus Slulum Dancers, Git Hayetsk Dancers, and Downtown Eastside performers Sue Blue, Brenda Prince, Steven Lytton, Priscillia Tait, Muriel “X” Williams.
Terry Hunter (Producer), Carrie Campbell (Production Manager), Jeff Harrison (Lighting), Liisa Hannus (Stage Manager), Raeanne Elkins (Assistant Stage Manager), Cowboy Smithx (videographer).
Written by Renae Morriseau (Director) with Rosemary Georgeson and Savannah Walling with contributions by Downtown Eastside urban Aboriginal artists and from the 2003 Downtown Eastside Community Play (Renae Morriseau, James Fagan Tait, Savannah Walling & Adrienne Wong).
Storyweaving has been made possible with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council, Government of BC through Gaming,
City of Vancouver Cultural Services, City of Vancouver Great Beginnings Program, BCGEU, TELUS Community Board and media sponsor Georgia Straight.
Thanks also to our community partner Indian Residential School Survivors Society.
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