International Indigenous Art Program at NAIG 2014

/in , , , /by

At the closing ceremonies of the North American Indigenous Games, youth from across North America, in collaboration with senior artists and emerging artists, presented a 15-minute performance that they created in 5 days as part of the International Indigenous Art Program (IIAP).

The senior artists were Cheryl L’Hirondelle (interdisciplinary), Jason Baerg (visual art), Ramses Calderon (music), Erroll Kinistino (theatre and dance) and Lyndon Tootoosis (sculpture, traditional carving). Each senior artist mentored one of the emerging artists, Nicole Akan (theatre), Jules Beudin-Herney (visual art), Candy Fox (film/video), Lacy Morin-Desjarlais (dance) and Garnett “Misfit” Tootoosis (music).

I had the honour of making a digital story (shown above), which documents the participants’ creative process in 5 days. Congratulations to everyone involved on an incredible final performance!

The IIAP is funded through the Creative Partnerships Raising the Bar program. Creative Partnerships is a joint initiative of the Saskatchewan Arts Board and SaskCulture with funding from the Saskatchewan Lotteries Trust Fund for Sport, Culture and Recreation. The Regina 2014 NAIG entered into a partnership with Sâkêwêwak First Nations Artists’ Collective to deliver the program and administer the residency.

 

International Indigenous Art Program

/in , , , , /by

At the closing ceremonies of the North American Indigenous Games on Saturday, youth from across North America will present a 15-minute performance that they have been working on with senior and emerging artists. The performance is part of the International Indigenous Art Program (IIAP), defined on NAIG’s website as an opportunity “for youth to explore their creative development through a meaningful interactive and collaborative experience with internationally recognized multidisciplinary Indigenous artists.”

I’m honoured to have been asked to make a digital story on the IIAP, which will be shown immediately before the 15-minute performance at the closing ceremonies. It’s been an incredible experience to watch and document their creative process, and I’m looking forward to seeing their work performed on stage.

IIAP

IIAP DSC_0492

 

Corry’s New Beginnings by Bryson

/in , , , , /by

Donald Corry, a clay miner from England, and his wife, Gladys, homesteaded in Ravenscrag, SK in the early 20th Century. They lived in a log house that was relocated from Ravenscrag to the Eastend Historical Museum in the late 1980s, where it remains to this day. My most recent digital storytelling workshop was held at this museum. Digital storytelling is a wonderful way to add narrative to historical photographs. Bryson LaBoissiere works at the museum in Eastend and created this digital story about the Corry couple.

Bryson

Bryson working on her digital story at the Eastend Historical Museum

Uncle Elmer by Sandra

/in , , , /by

About 20 people showed up to Movie Night at the Museum, held at the Grand Coteau Heritage & Cultural Centre, to watch the digital stories that workshop participants in Shaunavon, SK created earlier this week. Sandra’s story is on her uncle Elmer who experienced hearing loss from an ear infection in the 1930s.

IMG_6864

Stories of the land from Eastend, SK

/in , , , , /by

“Better to go outdoors. Better to see the flash of warblers in the willows, to smell the spicy aroma of sage, to hear the bright gurgle of the creek as it speeds under the footbridge. Better just to be here and try to accept the solace of this land that refuses to let us forget.”

– Candace Savage, A Geography of Blood

I’ve been staying in Eastend, SK in a charming house that was mail-ordered from an Eaton’s catalogue many years ago. Eastend is home to an Arts Council and the Wallace Stegner House, which provides residency to artists. It’s a quiet, friendly town with a population of approximately 600. The Eastend Historical Museum is hosting one of my digital storytelling workshops July 17-18.

While packing the car for the drive here, my roommate came out of our house and handed me Candace Savage’s award-winning book, A Geography of Blood, which is set in Eastend and Cypress Hills. “Have you read this?” He asked. I hadn’t, though I’d almost bought it several times at various bookstores. It seems serendipitous that I’d held out on reading it until now.

Savage, a Saskatchewan writer, who has stayed at the Stegner House, and now owns a house in Eastend, admirably balances her appreciation for this stunning landscape with an acknowledgement of her white-settler background. In A Geography of Blood, she delves into the disturbing history of Cypress Hills, specifically the government-sanctioned slaughter of bison to purposefully starve Indigenous people, the massacre of the Nakoda at Fort Walsh, and the establishment of farms in the name of so-called progress. Savage digs up the uncomfortable stories buried in the hills and valleys of the Plains while maintaining her love and appreciation for the land.

Here are some photos that were taken on the drive to Eastend and around this area.

IMG_6756

1947 REO Speedwagon near Caronport

IMG_6755

The band, REO Speedwagon, was named after a truck like this.

IMG_6760

Canola field near Caronport

IMG_6885

Cotton Candy Cloud in Eastend

IMG_6892

Bald Butte at Cypress Hills Provincial Park

Blue Eyes by Evie

/in , , , /by

In my digital storytelling workshops, I’ve been encouraging participants to tell first-person stories. But another way to tell a story is to interview someone. About a year ago, I sat down with my mother at her dining room table, with a handheld recorder, and I asked her to tell me some stories about my birth. I listened to those anecdotes a few days ago and turned one of them into this digital story.

Length of time it took to make:  4 hours

Equipment used: Zoom H4n recorder; Macbook Pro laptop

Software: Audacity; iMovie ’09

Music: royalty-free music downloaded from Jamendo

 

Capturing Our Stories: Moving to Canada by Holly

/in , , /by

Grade 7 student, Holly, tells about the adventure that she and her family took when they moved from Ireland to Moose Jaw, SK. This story was created in a digital storytelling workshop at King George School in Moose Jaw.

IMG_0372

Capturing Our Stories: Torrey by Asia

/in , , /by

It’s tough to pull off humour, but Grade 6 student, Asia, succeeds with her digital story on her little brother, Torrey. This video was created in a digital storytelling workshop at King George School in Moose Jaw, SK.

???????????????????????????????

Capturing Our Stories: Rugby by Avery

/in , , /by

Avery, a Grade 5 student at JH Moore, shares how she learned to play rugby and why it’s her favourite sport. This story was produced in a digital storytelling workshop that I facilitated with 17 grade 5 students in Lashburn, SK.

lashburn_rugbyscript

 

Game Time by Hayley

/in , , /by

In May, I led several workshops on scriptwriting at Melville Comprehensive School with Communications Media and Photography students. They were already familiar with iMovie, so I worked with them on their storytelling skills. Hayley wanted to tell a story about her dad, who taught her how to play hockey. As a girl in a male-dominated sport, Hayley wanted to share the story of how her dad taught her to stand up for herself and how to become a better player. She produced this beautiful story.