Festival celebrates Aboriginal storytelling

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It wasn't exactly a typical time in Regina's cultural life.

One night, a Northern Ontario rock band shared the stage with a Saskatchewan folk singer and throat singers from Pangnirtung, Nunavut. The next night, it was an event of modern dance. And the night after the audience watched traditional musicians from Siberia take the stage.

It was all part of the fourth annual Sakewewak Storytelling Festival. Held March 25 to 28 at various sites around Regina, the event featured not only storytellers, but also musicians and dancers. That's because, the organizers say, there are many ways to tell a story.

Storytelling has played an important role within traditional Aboriginal cultures. Because many cultures had no written languages, storytelling was the best way to pass along a society's history, culture and spirituality.

But in the age of the tape recorder, the Internet and the written word, is there still a role for storytelling?

Yes, say the festival's co-coordinators, Lynne Acoose and Robin Brass.

"This event helps to dispel the artificial boundaries that box in so-called 'modern art' from 'traditional art,'" said Brass.

"There's a perpetual question in artistic circles about, 'What is Indian art?' This allows us to define what art is for ourselves, our people and our culture."

Throughout its history, the festival has generally relied on local Elders and other storytellers to keep the oral tradition alive and to expand the concept of storytelling to other media. This year was no exception.

During a weekend of storytelling and seminars at the Regina Inn, traditional storytellers and singers such as Francis and Juliette McAdam, and Margaret and Lorena Lynn Cote performed.

"A lot of the people who we have invited are people who we have met through other aspects of our lives," said Brass. "Sometimes the storytellers recommend others who could perform."

The event began March 25 with a performance by Tracy Brown and Emily Karpik, two members of Siqiniup Qilauta (The Sun's Drum). The two are from Pangnirtung, Nunavut, but now make their home in Ottawa. Later, the alternative rock group Weaselhead took to the stage at The Exchange.

The following night, theatre artist and playwright Floyd Favel joined Geraldine Manossa on stage at Darke Hall for an interpretive dance performance.

On Saturday, the four-member Siberian traditional music group Uragsha performed at the Jacqui Schumiatcher Theatre at the Norman Mackenzie Art Gallery.

Getting the singers and musicians from the Lake Baikal region of Siberia to perform in the city was a coup of the highest honour, the organizers said.

"It happened to be by accident," said Acoose. "I was doing research in another project when they came up. I emailed them, and learned that they were coming to New York in March. We arranged for them, on their way home, to stop and perform in Regina. We were really lucky."

The performance also meant that the scope of the festival had expanded. When it started out, the event was primarily by Aboriginal prairie storytellers, for Aboriginal prairie storytellers. But, the organizers said, there are many more Indigenous cultures where storytelling is important, and it's important they be included.

"It's the first time we've had artists from outside the prairies come here," said Acoose. "It's gone international."

Sakewewak Artists Collective is a nine-year-old, artist-run Aboriginal organization that encompasses almost every field of art.

"The name 'Sakewewak,' means 'coming into view,'" said Acoose. "This reflects the need for somewhere to support artists who are working in new and emerging fields, such as performance art and interdisciplinary work, and also to support the emerging artists."