Chippewa history and culture highlighted

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Casino Rama has a new attraction to entertain and educate visitors. An eight-minute multimedia show inside the resort's grand rotunda shows an ancient civilization through the special effects of sound, video, sculpture, fiber-optic lighting. It is infused with First Nations symbolism.

The show was designed and produced by Lester Creative Inc. of California, which specializes in developing technical shows and themed attractions that are dramatic and technically advanced.

All surfaces contain elements such as footprints of bears or deer in the floor to bring the seven clans of the Mnjikaning culture to life.

"Visitors coming into the complex have been asking to know a little more about our people," said member of the Loon Clan, Mark Douglas, who has been involved in the show's creation.

"If we try and tell something that is longer than eight minutes, the people that traditionally come to that kind of environment [casino] can't stay . . . so it has to be less than eight minutes," Douglas said. "It's an old story of the seven clans calling a meeting and what the agenda might have been...those are eight members from my community that actually are of those clans, they're speaking on behalf of their family," he said.

"There was a lot to tell in an eight-minute show," admitted Trish Lester, vice-president of marketing for Lester Creative Inc.

"So we just kind of gave a brief overview of things, but let the people speak for themselves. We did that by actually filming members of each of the clans and projecting their faces speaking to you on the wonderful carvings on tree trunks. So we have trees around inside the forum, and one at a time each of these trees that has a spirit mask comes to life," she said.

Douglas has heard only positive comments from show viewers, "They're emotional: 'That was a spectacular show, I'm bringing my family up to see it'." The show was first presented on Sept. 18 and runs every hour from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day.