PNE and Canoe Cultures unveil lineup of Indigenous artists at Tatus Festival, August 30 and 31
Juno-winning singer-guitarist George Leach, soulful singer-songwriter Hayley Wallis, and Cree hip-hop artist K.A.S.P. are among the talented performers scheduled
Hayley Wallis.
George Leach.
The PNE and Canoe Cultures present the Tatus Festival on August 30 and 31 in the Festival Park area of the Hastings Park fairgrounds
IN THE TRADITIONAL LANGUAGE of the Nuu-chah-nulth people, the word tatus means “star”—and that’s exactly why it’s the name of the all-new Tatus Festival taking place as part of this year’s PNE, which will see Indigenous performers with true star quality grace the Freedom Mobile Stage on August 30 and 31.
The fest is a collaborative initiative between the PNE and Canoe Cultures, a local Indigenous-led organization that honours the culture of the canoe through performing- and visual-arts presentations. At its inaugural edition, Tatus Festival will include four performances each day, beginning at 12:30 pm and running until 6:30 pm.
Rex Smallboy—a Cree rap artist originally from Maskwacis, Alberta—will host the events on August 30. Performances will kick off with Spakwus Slolem (Eagle Song Dancers) from Squamish Nation featuring Shayla Jacobs, Sariah Jacobs-Greene, Stella Jacobs-Harry, and Bob Baker, along with Tsatsu Stalqayu (Coastal Wolf Pack) from Musqueam Nation.
At 2 pm, Cree hip-hop artist, motivational speaker, and youth advocate K.A.S.P. (also known as Rob Sawan) will present Road to H.O.P.E., inspired by his 2021 documentary of the same name. Rap artist Higher Knowledge will bring his blend of classic street rap and symbolic messages to the stage at 3:30 pm, enlivened by some synth and soul; now residing in Vancouver, he is Indigenous to the Kuskatan people of El Salvador and Collasuyu people of Chile with Spanish and Romanian roots.
Soulful pop singer-songwriter Hayley Wallis will wrap up the first day of events at 5 pm. Wallis is part of the Kitasoo/Xai’xais Nation and originally from the small island of Klemtu, located within B.C.’s Great Bear Rainforest. Earlier this summer, she performed at the outdoor Summer Sounds concert series presented by Vancouver Civic Theatres and Land Back Records; and last summer, she appeared at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival.
On August 31, two-spirit Cree drag queen Quanah Style (who starred in season two of the CBC Gem docuseries Canada’s a Drag) will host another day-long lineup that launches at 12:30 pm with a group performance by Tsatsu Stalqayu and the Coastal Wolf Pack kids with the Coastal Jam kids and traditional Métis–contemporary dance company V’ni Dansi.
At 2 pm, JB the First Lady (also known as Jerilynn Webster) will draw from her catalogue of four studio albums as a hip-hop, beat-box, and spoken-word artist, accompanied by her First Ladies Dance Crew. She is a member of the Nuxalk and Onondaga Nations.
To conclude the fest, audiences will be treated to two performances by award-winning Stl’atl’imx Nation musician George Leach, at 3:30 pm and 5 pm. A singer-songwriter and guitarist, Leach earned a Juno for his 2013 second studio album Surrender, which fuses classic rock, balladry, funk, and grooves, with a strong vocal range characterized by vulnerability. His style also spans soul, blues, and roots, and he delivers signature slide-guitar riffs on his double-neck Gibson.
In tandem with the Tatus Festival, Canoe Cultures is hosting an Indigenous marketplace at this year’s PNE. It will be open every day until the fair closes on September 2, with vendors selling handmade products. Seventh-generation Squamish Nation carver Mike Billy Sr. will also be hosting canoe- and paddle-carving demonstrations alongside apprentices, where guests can learn about the traditional tools and techniques of the craft. 
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