ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl (Come Toward the Fire) festival celebrates Indigenous culture and community
Buffy Sainte Marie, Quanah Style, Piqsiq, and Carsen Gray among the artists featured in new fest hosted by the Chan Centre and Musqueam
Indigenous Enterprise. Photo by Atiba Jefferson
The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts in collaboration with Musqueam present ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl (Come Toward the Fire) on September 17 and 18 across UBC’s Arts & Culture District
AN INDIGENOUS-LED festival of Indigenous art and culture is coming to life for the first time this weekend, an unprecedented showcase of musicians, dancers, speakers, and other creatives from Musqueam and other Indigenous nations from across Turtle Island (North America).
It’s called ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl (Come Toward the Fire). The hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ name was provided by Musqueam elder Larry Grant, with special thanks to Musqueam artist Miss Christie Lee Charles for suggesting the name “move toward the fire”. The meaning behind the phrase is a movement to return Indigenous voices to the forefront, back to the heart of the community and to the centre, following generations of removal due to colonization and residential schools.
Oscar-winning Cree artist Buffy Sainte Marie, Juno-nominated Haida pop and R&B singer Carsen Gray, Musqueam rapper and City of Vancouver’s first local Indigenous Poet Laureate Miss Christie Lee, and Inuit throat-singing sibling duo Piqsiq are just some of the artists taking part.
“This festival is a beautiful opportunity to showcase the joys of Indigeneity,” Pat Carrabré, director of the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts and member of the Manitoba Métis Federation, says in a release. “So often, Indigenous depictions are mired in tragedy. While we recognize the history and continued oppression of Indigenous peoples, we wanted to expand the narrative.
“The story of Indigenous peoples is not monolithic, neither is our cultures,” Carrabré adds. “With the various creatives we have invited for this festival, we are highlighting the incredible diversity of Indigenous talent, whether it’s through food, dance, song, or otherwise. Of course, we are especially pleased to present this festival in collaboration with Musqueam.”
Quanah Style. Photo by Wettrax
ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl (Come Toward the Fire) kicks off on September 17 with free public activities running from 1 to 6 pm. Hosted by Quanah Style, a transgender Cree drag queen, recording artist, and filmmaker, the afternoon offers music and dance performances, Indigenous vendors, food trucks, community presentations, film screenings, and cultural workshops. There will also be a dedicated memory space to provide an opportunity for Indigenous community members to share a memory of loved ones.
Hailing from Moberly Lake Reservation in Northern B.C., Style released her self-titled debut album in 2020, and it reached Billboard’s Top 10 Dance Albums that year. Style embraces the opportunity to be part of a festival that highlights Indigenous artistry across genres; by moving toward the fire, Style finds assurance of being on the right path.
“I’m the only Indigenous trans woman in Canada that is really doing what I do; TV, film, music,” Style says in an interview with Stir. “I don't know anybody else like me. I did a show with Snotty Nose Rez Kids in Kamloops recently, and never in my life did I think I’d have that response from the crowd; it was insane.
“The festival has an all-Indigenous lineup of talent and that’s what makes this event so special,” Style tells Stir. “I’m so excited to watch all the acts, especially Buffy Saint Marie; she’s an icon.”
On the evening of September 17 starting at 7 pm, a festival-style concert takes place the Chan Shun Concert Hall, hosted by Musqueam creator, actor, and playwright Quelemia Sparrow.
Among the performers are Piqsiq; Miss Christie Lee; Juno-nominated and 2021 Canadian Folk Music Award Solo Artist of the Year winner Julian Taylor of Mohawk and West Indian heritage; and Indigenous Enterprise, a multinational U.S.-based dance troupe led by champion powwow dancers, which performed at the Presidential Inauguration of Joe Biden. Then there’s Squamish and Nisga’a musician, model, and actor Lady Sinncere; JUNO-nominated Haida pop and R&B singer Carsen Gray; Lil’wat composer and singer Russell Wallace, leading a jazz ensemble for his Tillicum Shantie Project; Afro-Indigenous Two-Spirit DJ Orene Askew of the Squamish Nation, aka DJ O Show; brothers Sekawnee and Sekoya Baker of Squamish and Tla’amin heritage; and Coast Salish three-generation family group of singers, drummers, and dancers, Tsatsu Stalqayu, also known as Coastal Wolf Pack. Musqueam R&B singer Noah Crawford will be making his debut performance.
The September 17 concert will be recorded and broadcast on CBC Music, CBC Radio One, and CBC Gem on September 30 for Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation. Self-identifying Indigenous peoples can attend the concert for free.
Buffy Sainte-Marie performs on September 18, bringing the festival to a close. The prolific singer-songwriter has, for over five decades, been a trailblazer as a musician and actor, environmental activist, advocate for marginalized peoples, and feminist icon.
There’s more. On September 17 and 18, the Museum of Anthropology at UBC will host hands-on Musqueam Teachings family workshops from 11 am to 1:30 pm. The interactive sessions draw from MOA’s teaching kit, developed in partnership with the Musqueam, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm: qʷi:l̕qʷəl̕ ʔə kʷθə snəw̓eyəɬ ct / Musqueam: giving information about our teachings.
Also on both days, The Belkin Art Gallery’s Outdoor Screen will screen Stories from Musqueam, a short film and video series featuring the work and words of Musqueam artists, cultural knowledge keepers, and community members.
ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl (Come Toward the Fire) will also feature the premiere of a new musical composition co-created by master Musqueam weaver Debra Sparrow in partnership with Vancouver musician Ruby Singh and an ensemble of Vancouver-based string musicians. The work will interweave musical elements drawn directly from Sparrow’s Reconciliation blanket design. More of Sparrow’s blankets and weaving will be on display at the Chan Centre throughout the weekend.
Non-binary Musqueam (Vancouver)-based queer xʷməθkʷəy̓əm and Tsimshian artist Chase Gray created the artwork for the festival’s main image.
For more information, see https://chancentre.com/toward-the-fire-sept-17-18-2022/.
Chase Gray.
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