Voices of Spirit performed at Wanuskewin

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Aboriginal drama students from across Canada travelled to Wahpeton Dakota First Nation this summer to take part in an intensive month-long summer drama school. This is the second year the First Nation has played host to the program, which was started last year by Carol Greyeyes of the Toronto-based Center for Indigenous Theatre.

The students studied under experienced Aboriginal performers, including actors Curtis Ahenakew and Herbie Barnes, powwow dancer Boye Ladd, modern dancer Geraldine Larson, and writer Bernalda Wheeler.

James Sinclair, an Ojibway from the Peguis Indian reserve, was one of the students who took part in the drama school. Sinclair is a teacher at Ecole Kelvin high school in Winnipeg, but is pursuing both his teaching and acting careers, and chose the drama school in part because, being held in the summer, it works around his teaching schedule.

Another of this year's students was Bobbilee Copeland, from Lillooet, B.C. Copeland is working towards a BA in drama, and plans to continue on to earn a PhD so she can teach at the university level. "Eventually, I want to make it into the movies," Copeland said.

A couple of friends from the Blood reserve in Alberta were also among this year's class.

"I've been interested in acting for a year now, and I'd previously taken an acting course that was non-Native," explained Jami Wells. "It was way too much money, and I felt like I'd just been ripped off, so I wanted to do something Native-oriented," Wells said.

"I checked it out on the Internet and I came up with this place. There were a few other places in the States, but they were way too far away."

When she found out about the program, Wells passed the information on to her friend Cherish Blood, and both girls applied and were accepted.

"I was really interested, because me and her are trying to get our careers kind of going. Mine's mostly in stand-up comedy, so I just came here to get the other side of performing," Blood said.

The culmination of four weeks' work by the students was showcased in a production the group collectively created, entitled Voices of Spirit. The show had three performances, on the evenings of July 26 and 27 at the Wahpeton Communiplex, and on the afternoon of July 26 in the outdoor theatre at Wanuskewin Heritage Park just outside of Saskatoon.

"I'm just thrilled," said artistic director Carol Greyeyes of the finished product.

"This has been quite an exceptional year and everything's co-operated with us, even the weather, and the students have been very, very prolific in all their writing, and very creative. It was just an amazing group of people that came together and produced just a stellar show."

"I think, because it was our second year, there's a few of the things we kind of ironed out that we weren't too sure about the first year," said Wahpeton Chief Gary Standing of this year's drama program.

"We learned from our last year's mistakes and so there's things we had to cut back on, but it's something that we're still determined to fund next year and the year after that, because we see the long-term importance of what we're doing," he said.

"I think it's important to note that there's not too many Native theatre groups in Canada, and I think as far as Saskatchewan, I believe there's just one in Saskatoon that I'm aware of. I think it's important to know that this is a growing field and there is opportunity in this field for our First Nations youth."