Talking Stick Festival celebrates National Indigenous Peoples Day with music and culture, June 21

DJ Kookum, Logan Staats to perform at events held by Full Circle: First Nations Performance

SPONSORED POST BY Full Circle: First Nations Performance

DJ KOOKUM plays an Indigenous Day Eve show at Performance Works

The 22nd annual Talking Stick Festival is underway, celebrating and honouring National Indigenous History Month. The highly anticipated event hosted by Full Circle: First Nations Performance, proudly located on the traditional, unceded territories of the Coast Salish Peoples, takes place at diverse locations around Vancouver until July 2.

The Talking Stick Festival is a one-of-a-kind inclusive celebration that welcomes Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer multidisciplinary artists. This year’s theme, “Summer Reverb”, invokes amplified sounds and voices in musical performances, similar to water ripples reverberating outwards.

The vibrant range of events at the festival includes a documentary screening, theatre performance, book launch, burlesque show, immersive 4D audio performance, summer gala, and more.

June 21 marks National Indigenous Peoples Day, and for the important occasion the Talking Stick Festival features a diverse mix of ceremony, storytelling, dance, and music, paired with a fashion show curated by a local designer.

Headlining on June 21 is singer-songwriter and musician Logan Staats at Performance Works on Granville Island, for a Summer Solstice Celebration from 8 pm to 11 pm.

The captivating show ensures an unforgettable evening where Indigenous art and culture come to life. Staats, who won an Indigenous Music Award for his radio single “The Lucky Ones” in 2019, will move audiences with his soulful melodies alongside talented folk musician Ila Barker. The inspiring performances celebrate the spirit of Indigenous cultures in a blend of tradition and contemporary expression.

DJ KOOKUM plays an Indigenous Day Eve show at Performance Works as well, on June 20 from 9 pm to 12 am. Listeners will dive into the connection between Indigenous traditions and the exhilarating world of hip hop with the open-format DJ and multimedia maker from the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation and Cold Lake First Nations. Creativity and cultural fusion take centre stage in a dynamic lineup featuring exceptional Indigenous artists Sekawnee and Ms Shellz.

The festival concludes with a series of roundtables, welcoming an open discussion on various topics, including the evolving Canadian art landscape, which has been impacted by social justice movements, digital shifts, and new funding models.

Tickets and more festival information can be found at Full Circle: First Nations Performance.

Post sponsored by Full Circle: First Nations Performance.