Wendy Robinson joins me along with her cousin Brenda Sapergia and their two horses, Gypsy and Zeva. “Equine Therapy” brings unconditional companionship and comfort in times of joy and sadness. Horses have played a major role in the lives of Wendy and Brenda and have brought them through some life-changing events.
I spent August 12 in Shaunavon at the Grand Coteau Heritage & Cultural Centre. Each year they host two different Kids’ Art Camp, and this year they asked that I come and facilitate a workshop for one of the days.
The roster was full with fun activities: visiting a local pottery studio, making Celtic walking sticks, painting, etc. So, I decided to add Papier–mâché to the list. Namely, we made Papier-mâché rabbit sculptures
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I had the group of twelve make the wire frames of the rabbits, stuff the frames, apply the Papier-mâché, and paint their sculpture s all in one day! They worked hard, but the end result was a dozen cute rabbits.
Most of my Culture Days Activities (and therefore these posts) focus on the bright side of our society. They focus on the fun, creative, celebratory nature of Saskatchewan.
While I enjoy the positivity of these endeavours and those aspects our Culture, I also feel that if we’re going to put forth a call to engage in Culture we have to be open to all potential aspects of what this might be.
The “All Nations Healing Moon Gathering” is one such example of what I am speaking about. Muskoday First Nation invites the families of those who have murdered and missing loved-ones to gather during the August Full/Super Moon, so as to grieve and heal. During this gathering there is much ceremony and cultural activity. There is a Sweatlodge, drumming, smudging, talking circles, the drying of meat and fish, the collection of sweetgrass and sage, feasts, and more.
That said, I was more than happy to be asked to attend this gathering and facilitate a craft or art workshop that could run alongside all the other activities.
They set up a tent for me and during the day I ran a simple styrofoam print workshop. I had many children come and stay the day and make several prints, which we then hung by clothes-pin on twine, around the tent. Even a few adults came and sat and visited for the duration of my stay.
I’m not sure if it was the nature of the gathering, people’s vulnerability, or the magic of the Super Moon, but there was a ‘closeness’ that is difficult to articulate. Perhaps a couple of examples will suffice: the Autistic boy who would only address me as Auntie, or the War Veteran who told me various stories from his three tours of duty.
It’s challenging to look at aspects of Culture such as the missing and murdered. But it’s there. So what better way to deal with this troubling experience than with creativity, song, traditions, ceremony, and Art.
Weldon Gray is a luthier, a wizard, and has kept company with greats like Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble! Enough said…Weldon defines the term a “Renaissance man”.
Visit: www.graylorelutes.com and www.thewackywizard.net
Eileen Laverty is a known for delivering heart-rending ballads, and has performed across Canada and Ireland. Eileen shares her stories from the road, her musical journey, life philosophy and her love of soccer!
Featured song by Eileen Laverty – “The Road” from the album “ground beneath my feet”
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.
The ways in which Art creates community, and the symbiotic nature of Art and Culture, never ceases to amaze me.
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When I first spoke with the group at Muskoday’s Culture Camp I told them about Marvin’s, the Camp Director’s, request that we depict one of their Clan Mothers: the Wolf. So as to create discussion about the imagery we’d use in this depiction, I asked the youth group, “So, I’d like you to tell me what the Wolf Clan means to you. Do you have any stories you could share? Any information that would help us?”
Nothing. Complete silence.
So then I asked, “Okay, let’s back up a bit. Does the Wolf Clan mean anything to you?”
Again, nothing. The youth did not know about their Clan System. They did not know about the role of Clan Mothers.
At this point Marvin intervened and imparted a little bit of information and said that he would invite someone out that night to tell the group about the Clans.
And so he did.
The next day when I arrived I took my cup of tea and walked over to the Archery Area to visit with the girls. And sure enough I could hear them speaking and retelling the stories they heard the previous night, about the Clans and how they worked. When I asked further questions about the stories they were told the girls would confer with each other to make sure they had their story straight.
And, just like that a decayed portion of Muskoday’s Culture is reignited via the creation of a tile mosaic. It is the spark that starts a wildfire of cultural transmission.
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So here’s what the process of making of this large broken tile mosaic looks like: I usually arrive at the Culture Camp around 8:00, 8:30. Most times I get a big smile on my face when I pull up to the camp, because there is someone (if not two or three) working away already. I grab a tea or coffee, put on my apron, and join them in figuring out the puzzle.
The day is filled with the constant stream of tea, glueing, and conversation. Some work on the piece for hours at a time. We stand beside each other and dance around the bucket of tile and the pan of glue, and talk…. and talk. It’s amazing the conversations that come about. Some of it is just fun: silly stories and anecdotes. But some of what is said is serious and morose: kids tell me about deaths in the family, sickness, and injuries.
Everyone takes breaks from glueing and breaking tile to go participate in other activities: canoeing, swimming, biking, archery. And of course there’s mealtime! But, eventually, they come back to the tile pieces either in groups or solo and the conversation begins again.
Most nights I quit around 9:00. But, one morning I came back to a finished wolf. So I know the kids don’t stop. Some continue even when I’m not there.
All those conversations, all that sharing, all that trust that occurs while co-creating art is building community. We are becoming friends….And that is the elusive, subversive, magical potential of community art.
Carey Rigby-Wilcox is an advocate for adult literacy, an accomplished author and an inspiration for anyone overcoming the stigma, shame and fear around literacy challenges. Carey opens her heart in an honest discussion about her personal struggle and her triumphant accomplishments. For those living in silence with this issue, this podcast will reassure you in knowing that you are not alone.
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.
Gladys McCarthy is a scientist, a chocolatier, an entrepreneur, owner of “Glad’s Chocolates”, a barn dance host, and a drummer! I meet Gladys in her idyllic setting just outside of Kindersley, Saskatchewan. Gladys returned to the family farm where she lives a very fulfilling life.
