Storytellers Festival 2002 February 7 - 10

Headline Storytellers:

Thursday, February 7 - 7:30pm - Regina Inn, 1975 Broad St. Regina
Pewanowinin - Sensational and weird Indian tales and the history of the Northwest

Saturday, February 9 - 7:30pm - Regina Inn, 1975 Broad St. Regina
Maria Campbell - The historical and critical process of Storytelling
Daniel Musqua - Treaty Four history

Thursday, February 14 - 7:30pm - Regina Inn, 1975 Broad St. Regina
Alma Kytwayhat - Sacred knowledge and traditional beliefs in contemporary life
Wallace Fox - Saskatchewan First Nations political and social history

Special Events :

Friday, February 8 - 8:00pm - The Exchange, 2431 8 Ave, Regina
Storypalooza - A performance event hosted by guest artist Gary Farmer and featuring readings and performances from invited guest artists: Connie Fife, Pewanowinin, Marvin Francis, Ray McCallum, Lori Blondeau and many others. Co-sponsored by Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange Society

Sunday, February 10 - 2:00pm - Regina Public Library Film Theatre, 2311 12 Ave, Regina
Living Language and Contemporary Practices - Panelists: Margret Cote, Maria Campbell, Daniel Musqua, and Floyd Favel Starr. Hosted by the Dunlop Arts Gallery, this panel discussion will focus upon language retention issues.

Guest Storytellers and Writers

Francis Bird
Francis Bird (Sauleaux) was born and raised in Reserve Junction, a sawmill town near Hudson Bay. He was raised by his maternal grandparents but had the benefit of being close to his father's parents as well. His mother's people were from Cote Reserve and his father's, Yellowquill. A single parent, Francis raised his eight children on his own. He has had his sobriety since 1982 and today works on the Cote First Nation as an addictions counsellor. He is a well-respected storyteller with a wealth of stories including his own thoughts on single parenting and Native banishment.

Maria Campbell
Maria Campbell is a writer, playwright, filmmaker, and teacher and is currently completing a Master's thesis at the Dept. Of Native Studies, University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. Over the past twenty years she has been guest speaker at numerous Conferences and has taught and facilitated workshops and seminars on Creative Writing, Film and Video, Community Development & Skills, Issues of Justice, Women and Youth in Crisis, Literature and the Arts, both here in Canada and the United States. She has also presented papers and guest-lectured at Universities in Canada, the US and Australia. Books published include; Achimoona (Fifth House Publishers - 1985), The Book of Jessica (Couch House Press - 1987), and Stories of the Road Allowance People (Theytus Books - 1995), among other titles. Four of her books have been published in eight countries and in four languages. She is the recipient of The National Aboriginal Achievement Award, (Canadian Aboriginal Arts Foundation - 1995), The Dora Mavor Award (National Award for Playwrighting - 1996), The Chalmers Award, (National Award for Best New Play, Jessica - 1986), and the Chief Crowfoot Award, (Dept. Of Native Studies, University of Calgary - 1996). Currently, she is working on a collection of poetry and prose which will be published by Douglas and McIntyre Publishers.

Connie Fife
Originally from Saskatchewan, Connie Fife is Cree. Her poetry and critical writings have appeared in numerous anthologies and periodicals. She is the author of two previous collections of poetry: Beneath the Naked Sun (Sister Vision - 1992) and Speaking Through Jagged Rock (Broken Jaw Press - 1999). She is the editor of Gatherings 2 (Theytus Books - 1991) and Fireweed: Native Women's Issue, No 26 (1986). She was recently awarded, in Chalottetown, the Prince and Princess Edward Prize in Aboriginal Literature in acknowledgement of her contribution both in her community and in Canada. Her recent book, Poems For A New World, was published by Ronsdale Press. She now lives in Victoria, BC.

Wallace Fox
Wallace Fox is from the Onion Lake First Nation. He was selected into council in 1982 at age 21, and was also selected into chief's position in 1986, at age 25. He's had the privilege to have apprenticed with the late elder Jim Cannepotatoe. Wallace Fox was Chief until June 2000, and a proud pipe carrier. Wallace was employed at FSIN until January 31. He enjoys working with our people and sharing with them the teachings of the elders.

Marvin Francis
A Cree/Chipewyan from the Heart Lake Reserve in Alberta, Marvin Francis is a member of the Aboriginal Writers Collective, and the Writers Guild. His academic awards include: Writers Circle Prize, Lillian Gibbons Scholarship in Humanities, Moira Bell Scholarship, Gold Medal (English), First Nations Student Council Award. For his English MA, Marvin wrote a book of poetry, City Treaty and for his thesis specialized in Canadian Literature. Past writing highlights include: For radio drama, The Cockfight which won the Manitoba Writers Award for Radio Contest, and he wrote and directed The Adventures of Scabby Boy for UMFM. In theatre, Marvin Francis directed three Samuel Beckett plays for Beckettfest 2001; he won the Manitoba Association IPC Contest for the play The Sniffer; and also wrote The Lemmings, one of three finalists in the Ottawa Little Theatre's National One Act Playwrighting Competition. For screenwriting, Marvin Francis was one of the recipients of the Ross Charles Award (2001). Marvin is currently a PhD candidate (English) at the University of Manitoba.

Alma Kytwayhat
Alma Kytwayhat was born in Thunderchild, Saskatchewan, and has been living in Loon Lake for the past 42 years. She is a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and has been working in the wellness field for the past 17 years. She has been working primarily with women, and facilitates workshops and talking circles teaching the life cycles of women. She does this relying upon the teachings and stories handed down to her from elders who have now passed on. Alma sometimes works together with her husband Simon in healing circles for both men and women using the drums and songs.

Daniel Musqua
Daniel Musqua was born on May 29, 1939 and is a member of Keeseekoose First Nation. He has served as elder in residence, Lecturer and Instructor at the University of Saskatchewan, Indian Teachers Education Program since 1990. He has also lent his expertise as lecturer to the SIFC campus in Nipawin and has had past experience as elder and lecturer at the Gabriel Dumont Institute in 1989-1990. His greatest achievement and accomplishment is his gift in First Nations traditional oral history. He prides himself as a First Nation historian and his skills in the oratory arts and his vast knowledge of Saskatchewan First Nations culture and history is well known through-out Canada. More recently, Daniel Musqua has become extensively involved in the healing and wellness aspect of First Nations culture. Daniel Musqua is considered a living treasure - a preeminent historian of Treaty Governance, he is also highly respected for his personal integrity and kindness.

Walter Nanawin
Fluent in five languages, Walter Nanawin is a respected Storyteller and a veritable walking encyclopedia of timeless oral traditions of Cree and Objibwe of northern Manitoba. Past works include; Tales from the Northwoods, True Stories from Lake Winnipeg, Stories of Sasquatch, True Trapping Stories, and stories of Indian folk before the white man came. Walter currently resides in Wassakamak, Manitoba with his wife Jean. He was the recipient of the Prince and Princess Edward Prize in Aboriginal Literature, 2001.

Gary Farmer
Gary Farmer is an award-winning actor and director. His recent film credits include; The Score; Smoke Signals; Dead Man; Moonshine Highway; and Lillies. Gary received a Genie Nomination for Best Actor, for his role as "Henry", in the 1994 Canadian feature Henry and Verlin. Gary is remembered for his remarkable performance as "Philbert Bono", in the 1989 film PowWow Highway, for which he received an award as Best Actor at the American Indian Film Festival. Gary also won a Totem Award from First Americans in the Arts in February 1993, for his role as "Stonetree" in the CBS series Forever Knight. Gary's work in theatre has been extensive and includes directing Ravens, a new play by Joyce B. Joe for Native Earth Performing Arts, Toronto, Ontario. As well, Gary played the role of "Zachary Jeremiah Keechingeesik" in both 1989 and 1990 productions of Thomson Highway's play Dry Lips Oughta Move To Kapuskasing, for which he was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore award for Best Actor in 1989. Currently he is the Global Guest Lecturer at the School of Journalism, University of Regina.

Lori Blondeau
Lori Blondeau is a Cree/Saulteaux/Metis and is based in Saskatoon. She is currently completing her MFA at the University of Saskatchewan and sits on the Advisory Panel for Visual Arts for the Canada Council for the Arts. She is also a co-founder and the current director of the aboriginal arts organization, TRIBE. Lori's work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. She remounted her performance, We Want to be Just Like Barbie That Bitch has Everything, for the group exhibition "The People's Plastic Princess" at The Walter Phillips Gallery in Banff, Alberta. Her most recent work is a collaborative performance piece with artists Bradlee Larocque and James Luna entitled Dead Fall Revue. This work was presented at the Institute For American Indian Art (IAIA), Santa Fe, New Mexico in May 2001.

Erroll Kinistino
Erroll Kinistino is an actor/entertainer and writer from the Ochapowace First Nation Reserve, who enjoys living and working in Saskatchewan, but also enjoys his travels to functions throughout Canada. You probably best know Erroll for his role as "Leon" on the popular hit drama North of 60. A graduate of SIFC in 1988 Indian Communication Arts Program, Erroll has been a band counsellor on Ochapawase (Health Portfolio). Kinistino has been in Tomson Highway's Dry Lips Oughta Move To Kapuskasing in Toronto, Ontario, The Ecstacy of Rita Joe with the Prairie Theatre Exchange, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Fear Fight, a school tour with the Globe Theatre in Regina and Four Horses with the 25th Street Theatre, Saskatoon. He is developing Humour and Storytelling skills with all this experience. Kinistino has also sang backround vocals for Chester Knight's Juno-nominated album Freedom.

Randy Lundy
Randy Lundy, of Cree, Irish and Norwegian descent, was born in Northern Manitoba and raised in Northern Saskatchewan. He received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. He has worked for the SFIC English Department for a number of years in different capacities, currently as Assistant Professor. He has been writing poetry for most of his life and continues to do so; his first book is titled Under the Night Sun published by Couteau Books.

G. Ray McCallum
G. Ray McCallum was conceived after ration day between the spam and the hardtack in 1951. After foregoing his little wings in heaven Ray emerged somewhat bewildered in April 1952 on the Flying Dust First Nation. He is a registered member of Kesip Sageihecan,(Waterhen Lake) in Meadow Lake provincial park. Although Ray is a Neyhiyaw his first words were the most common of homo sapiens, "abu dabu", (where's the moose milk?). Ray's hero is his wife Paula Acoose with whome he willingly indentured his soul to be her mate. Ray is primarily a visual artist of various mediums, more specifically in oils, he is a master beader and songwriter, McCallum is innovating the concept of fusion with his extraordinary mix of Latin guitar and Cree song lyrics. Now and again when the sun is right he may be seen puddle jumping at powwows. Preferably, he likes to stand around and look good. Ray was gifted with a ugly voice and a strange accent, so he turned to music and he can quibble, his pontificating on the banal and on issues of unimportant criticisms are legendary. In his own words, "Dare pondus fumo" to give weight to smoke; ie: attach importance to matters of no consequence. Also, "fumo et opes, strepitumque sakewewak", the smoke, the show and the noise of sakewewak. "Deo vobiscum", God be with you. "Tapwe boy!", affirmation; that's right, boy.

Floyd Favel Starr
"...the Takwakin ... Striking and imagistic..." NOW Magazine, Toronto. Mr. Favlis one of the more accomplished native theatre professionals working today in North America. His performances are innovative, challenging and distinguished by their world cultural influences. He has traveled widely and his work brings cultures together, at the same time his pride in his culture is shown by his use of native languages in his performances. Mr. Favel was the first native Canadian ever to be accepted to work with Jerzy Grotowski, one of the great figures of the 20th century theatre. Since finishing his studies he presently works across Canada as a theatre and dance artist, writer, teacher, guest speaker and performer.

Margaret Cote
Ms. Cote is one of the first graduates of the Dept. of Indian Languages and Linguistics program, graduating with distinction in 1990. She is currently enrolled in a Master of Education program in Curriculum and Instruction. She is the author of the Nahkawewin-Saulteaux/Ojiway Dialect of the Plains, Saulteaux Syllabics book, and the Saulteaux Verb Book used in D.I.L.L.L's Saulteaux classes. She translated four stories for a CD ROM Interactive Project for Robbie Beach Interactive for Sask-ED. She has developed Saulteaux language programs from the Introductory 100 level to the higher 400 level classes, as well as Humanities 251 Sauleaux Literature in Translation. Margaret has completed a series of children's books (with tapes) called Saulteaux Talking Books, and the first edition of her Saulteaux Dictionary. She is presently transcribing tapes on Saulteaux legends and myths, organizing a series of booklets using Saulteaux Syllabics Standard Roman Orthography and English translations. In October 2001, she received The Women of The Dawn Award for First Nations Educations.

Credits:
Artistic Directors: Lynn Acoose and Robin Brass
Image Development: Edward Poitras
Sound Technician: Cary Ciesielski from Twisted Pair Sound

Robin Brass
Robin Brass has spent the past 12 years working in the province of Saskatchewan as a multi-diciplinary artist. She completed her B.A. in Visual Arts in 1995 at the Saskatchewan Federated College's Indian Fine Arts Dept., University of Regina although her primary body of work has been based in the perfomance. Aside from her own development as a artist, she has been actively involved with the emergence of a new generation of contemporary Indigenous artists, through her service with Circle Vision Arts Corporation and Sâkêwêwak Artist's Collective. In 1997, she co-founded the Red Tattoo Ensemble with Director Floyd Favel Starr and Writer/Actor, Mark Dieter: Saskatchewan's first professional Native theatre company. Robin is currently living in La Ronge, Saskatchewan and is teaching Indian Art History and a studio class for Saskatchewan Indian Federated College, Northern Campus.

Edward Poitras
Edward Poitras is a member of the Gordon First Nation and is a citizen of the Treaty Four territorial juristiction. Over the past twenty years Poitras has exhibited extensively across Canada, as well as in the US and Europe. His selection as the first Aboriginal artist ever to represent Canada at the prestigious Venice Biennale marks a recognition of this distinctive contribution to the question of "Otherness", the theme of the 1995 Biennale. A selection of Poitras' solo exhibitions include: RESIG/NATION, Galerie Le Lieu, Quebec City, Quebec (2000); The Politics of Land, an earthwork at Wanuskewin Heritage Park, Saskatoon (1998); Jaw Rez, Canadian Museum of Civilization at Hull, Quebec (1996); Edward Poitras, Canada XLVI Venice Biennial, Italy and Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, Quebec (1995); Three Lemons and a Dead Coyote, Ottawa School of Art, Ottawa, Ontario (1993); and Et in American Indian Ego, Art Speak, Vancouver, BC, (1989). Group exhibitions include: In-X-Isle, Neutral Ground, Regina; Savage Truths, The Institute of American Indian Art Museum, Sante Fe, New Mexico (1998), Cyclic, Centre for New Media, Canadian Cultural Centre, Paris, France (1997); and Prairie-undo Plainsindianer, Westfalisches Museum for Naturkunde, Munster, Germany (1992).

Sâkêwêwak Artists' Collective
Sâkêwêwak Artists' Collective Inc. is a Regina based multi-disciplinary arts organization whose mandate is to ensure that First Nations artists are consistently provided with the space and environment that allows them to develop their self-determined artistic practices through sritical exchange with their peers and audiences. Sâkêwêwak Artist's Collective accomplishes its mandate throughthree distinct programs: th Exhibition/Performance/Production Program, the Professional Development Program and the Resources Centre Program. By deliveringthese programs, Sâkêwêwak works to present important role models of First Nations artists working to develope our cultures in a context that involves life-long commitment to professional art practices. Sâkêwêwak is a Cree word meaning "they are coming into view". During Sâkêwêwak formative period, the name was chosen to reflect the communitiy's vision for an organization that wouldfacilitate the emergance of new artistic practices and support First Nations artists in developing projects that meet the challenges of identifying current and historical reference points and exploring contemporary artistic concerns.