Talking Stick Festival announces new Indigenous arts-focused events, July 1
Indigifunk artist Curtis Clear Sky, hip-hop and spoken-word artist JB the First Lady, and storyteller-author Nicola I Campbell among the performers marking National Indigenous History Month
Nicola I Campbell is the author of Stand Like a Cedar.
ALL YEAR, TALKING Stick Festival and Full Circle: First Nations Performance have been hosting concerts, dance performances, exhibitions, readings, films, and more to mark the fest’s 20th anniversary.
Now, the festival is announcing two new events taking place on July 1 to close out its month-long Summer Sojourn. The celebration has featured co-presentations and collaborations with Indigenous organizations across the country and coincided with National Indigenous History Month.
Stand Like a Cedar is a children’s book reading on July 1 at 2 pm PDT. Storyteller Nicola I Campbell reads from her latest publication of the same name (Highwater Press). Featuring illustrations by Stó:lō artist Carrielynn Victor, Stand Like A Cedar explores Indigenous teachings, sacred responsibilities, and connection with the land.
Standing Strong: For the Children chén̓chens iy̓ím Shi ti Mun mun takes place at 7 pm PDT. The multidisciplinary event includes the book launch of Stand Like a Cedar, with Campbell and Victor in attendance.
The evening show also includes performances by Butterflies in Spirit, a dance group comprised of family members of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls; Tsatsu Stalqyu (Coastal Wolfpack), a traditional Coast Salish performance group; and JB The First Lady, a hip-hop and spoken word artist, beat-boxer, cultural dancer and youth educator whose lyrics speak to challenging subjects like residential schools and missing and murdered Indigenous women.
Curtis Clear Sky.
Also appearing is Curtis Clear Sky and the Constellationz, a band that plays “Indigifunk”: hip-hop music with elements of funk, soul, blues, reggae, and ska performed in an uplifting Indigenous voice.
Among other Talking Stick Festival events that are still on is the visual art exhibition Nch'u7mut cheshá7 temíxw / Giving Back to Mother Earth.
Who We Are Indigenous Film Series continues until July 4. Indigenous Curators Rylan Friday, Jasmine Wilson, and Sharon Fortney selected the films, the series being presented in honour of Indigenous History Month by the Vancouver International Film Festival and Museum of Vancouver. A panel discussion takes place June 28 from 5 to 6 pm PDT with Zacharias Kunuk (director of Antanarjuat) and Violet Nelson (actor in The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open. The discussion will be facilitated by Friday and Odessa Shuquaya.
Embodying Power and Place is a powerful audio-visual performance series based on the 2019 final report from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Commission, running to July 1.
For full festival info, check out Talking Stick Festival. at www.talkingstickfest.ca
JB the First Lady.
Related Articles
