Talking Stick heads into 16th year with powerhouse program

The 2016 Talking Stick Festival will be held in Vancouver Feb. 18 to Feb. 28, and it’s shaping up to be quite the event. The festival explores Aboriginal culture through the arts, and this year will include battling birds, a celebration of powwow culture, slam poetry and much, much more.

Battle Of The Birds is a performance based on a traditional Nlakap’amux story about a community confronting the issue of domestic violence. In the time before time itself, when animals appeared like humans and spoke a similar language, the bird nation becomes alarmed when the Bald Eagle is abusive to his wife. Golden Eagle convinces the bird nation to conspire with him to rescue Bald Eagle’s wife, but it will mean war. Battle Of The Birds is a Savage God production by Kevin Loring.

Performances will take place on Feb. 19 at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. at the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre,181 Roundhouse Mews (Davie & Pacific). Audience Talk-Back to follow the 1 p.m. performance.

Our Stories, Your Stories will be held Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. in the Alice MacKay Room at the Vancouver Public Library at 350 W Georgia St. It provides the chance to hear some First Nations’ stories told by Indigenous storytellers. Join Tom McCallum (Metis) and Wes Nahanee (Squamish) for an afternoon of stories depicting the history of Indigenous people. Perfect for all ages and for the whole family.

Celebration of Powwow Culture will be held Feb. 21 and Feb. 22. beginning at noon at Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre. Enjoy a brilliant display of traditional and contemporary dance exhibitions from across Turtle Island and the Four Directions, featuring dancers ranging in age from toddlers to Elders. Join in the inter-tribal dances. It’s an interactive event for all ages. This event hosts the Aboriginal Artisan Fair and includes a variety of vendor exhibits and the sale of arts, crafts, music, and food.

TSF! Musical Coffee Houses will be held at 9 p.m. at the Zawa Restaurant at 920 Commercial Drive on Feb. 22, Feb 23, Feb 24, and Feb 27 curated by Suzette Amaya, (minimum $10 food and/or beverage order per person).

Get your finger on the pulse of new Indigenous music. Settle in to listen to some of the best up and coming musicians, DJ’s and vocalists in a casual, informal, eclectic, hip and happening way.

It’s Open Mic on Feb. 22. So step up if you have the chops. Chris Williams and Sandy Scofield will perform on Feb. 23, Niska Napoleon and Sister Says on Feb. 24 and the Five Charms Quintet and Nathaniel Arcand on Feb. 27.

Mistatim is a Red Sky Performance production hot off of a week of performances at Young People’s Theatre in Toronto. Advance reservations recommended. Mistatim is about the taming of a wild horse, the forging of friendships, a story of reconciliation for children and their families that combines dance, theatre, mask, storytelling and music.

Under a big prairie sky, a simple wooden fence is all that separates Calvin on his ranch and Speck on her reservation, but in many ways they are worlds apart. Working together to rein in a wild horse called Mistatim, both Calvin and Speck must cross the divide of their own cultures to learn to communicate with each other, Mistatim, and their families. Audience Talk-Back to follow each performance on Feb 23 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and Feb 24 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Britannia Secondary School, 1001 Cotton Dr. in Vancouver.

In memory of  “East Van ghetto poet” Zaccheus Jackson (Blackfoot), the festival will host From Talking Stick to Microphone, a selection of this country’s best independent musicians and slam poets going head to head, curated by Nyla Carpentier. It will be held Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. at Café Deux Soleils, 2096 Commercial Drive, Vancouver.

These are just a few of the programs that the Talking Stick Festival has on offer this year. It is the 16th year the festival has run. Learn more at http://talkingstickfest.ca/festival-shows.