For my “Taking It to the People” assignment, I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to volunteer for the Talking Stick Festival, an Indigenous Arts festival in downtown Vancouver. The Talking Stick Festival includes theater, visual art, music, dancing, powwows, and many more various types of seminars and presentations. It was truly a treat to be a part of, and I feel so grateful for the opportunity I had to learn about and witness the work of so many talented local Indigenous artists. The volunteer staff was an incredible team of selfless and hard-working people, especially the coordinators who worked tirelessly to keep the festival running as flawless as it did. It was an amazing experience that I would recommend to anyone, whether you choose to volunteer or simply attend one of the many incredible shows and events the Talking Stick Festival has to offer.
My perceptions of what an arts festival looked like before this experience was completely altered during my first shift. I was on box office duty and was fortunate enough to listen in on a presentation of the meaning and cultural significance behind Two-Spirit, an Indigenous sexual or spiritual gender identity. My previous knowledge of festivals included rigid time schedules, fixed seating and audience numbers, and a largely one-sided presentation from the stage to the audience. This experience, however, proved that festivals have the capacity to be much more fluid and adaptive, with the Two Spirit presentation fully engaging the audience and the opinions and questions of all. It was not just the subject matter that was extremely engaging, but the format of the presentation allowed for more of a guided discussion and conversation between the presenter and the audience. It really opened my eyes to the potential shows and presentations have to be mutually engaging as well as a learning experience for all. This first shift was an excellent introduction into understanding the Talking Stick Festival – an inclusive, educational, entertaining, and thoughtful presentation of Indigenous art and culture, all of which is extremely accessible and affordable.
Another show that I was able to sit in on during one of my shifts was the stage reading of Red Patch, an upcoming production by Raes Calvert and Sean Harris Oliver about a young Métis soldier from the Nuu-chah-nulth nation of Vancouver Island. This was my first introduction into the world of Indigenous theatre, and considering it was a stage reading and not the full performance I had no idea what to expect. Not surprisingly, I was completely blown away by the story line, the commitment and conviction displayed by the actors, and the intricacies of each scene along with the interconnectedness of several sub-plots. I was truly inspired during the stage reading by a story of bravery, identity, nationhood, and the horrors of war, and I greatly appreciated the contextualization of Indigenous peoples in the history of Canada’s involvement in World War I, as their role is so often minimized or forgotten. Considering the story of the great World Wars is so often told from a colonial perspective in history textbooks and school curriculums, it is extremely refreshing to see a story like Red Patch which is willing to offer a unique and crucial humanization of the viewpoint of an Indigenous soldier willing to fight for Canada, including the discrimination he faced. I could not have been more pleased with my first experience with Indigenous theatre; I fully intend to attend one of the shows which premiers tonight, March 29th, 2017, running until April 9th, and I will undoubtedly be encouraging my friends and peers to do the same.
The Talking Stick Festival includes a vast representation of Indigenous art in many different forms, with every genre coming together to create a contemporary display of Indigenous culture and expression. As a non-Indigenous person, I could not have felt more welcome or included to participate in the events that I did, and I strongly believe that this festival is one of a kind in its ability to bring together different cultures in a constructive and thoughtful way. Indigenous representation in popular culture, in my opinion, is a huge part of reconciliation as it provides a modern medium for large-scale education of Indigenous history, culture, and identity. I believe the Talking Stick Festival is an excellent example of an expression of Indigeneity that will pave the way for greater acceptance and understanding of Indigenous peoples in the future, and does so in a presentable, entertaining, and relatable way which encourages all different types of people to participate.
