An evening bringing together Indigenous youth artists and their allies.
This event is a gathering for Indigenous youth artists to share art, stories, and music in person; opening with a singalong of one of Buffy Sainte-Marie’s newer songs, followed by special presentations by invited youth artists, and an open mic for Indigenous youth who attend. This evening invites the youth to share their art, dance performance, story, or words in a welcoming, safe(r), and celebratory environment.
Arrive early for a seat and to enjoy the scenery.
Wednesday August 10 2022, 7pm
Trillium Park Pavilion
Artists:
Métis siblings Alyssa and Conlin were born in Winnipeg, Manitoba where they nurtured a passion for music from an early age. Building on their foundations in classical music studies, they mentored with Indigenous elders from across Canada to develop their repertoire. Together with their two younger siblings they form Métis Fiddler Quartet. The group’s debut album North West Voyage Nord Ouest won best traditional album at the 2012 Canadian Folk Music Awards.
The group performs for audiences across Canada, including recent performances at the 2015 Parapan Am games opening ceremony, as well as La Grande Gigue, a collaboration with the Caprice Baroque Ensemble for the 2016 Montreal Baroque Festival, at the opening ceremonies for the 2017 North American Indigenous Games, and most recently with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra.
Having completed her doctorate of music in the spring of 2018 with highest honours from the jury, Alyssa was selected as the Indigenous representative of Kuné, Canada’s Global Orchestra – a project founded and supported by the Royal Conservatory of Music.
In addition to his work as a musician and performer, Conlin received his JD from the U of T Faculty of Law in June 2022. He is currently enrolled in the Law Practice Program at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Tashie Broadbent is a young Indigenous artist and entrepreneur from Manitou Rapids RRFN. Tashie runs a small business selling her own paintings and handmade dream catchers. She has sold her art locally at J&D Junction and the Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung historical center.
Aaralyn Gomez is a young Métis Woman who absolutely loves the arts. She has always wanted to do many different art forms. Acting, dancing, singing, painting, film making; you name it, if it is a form of art and a way to express one’s self, she would sign up.
Aaralyn loves her work. Most recently she has expanded her experience in painting. She has been working on a piece for six months, a piece about Mother Nature. She is now looking to make others see what she sees when she looks at the earth, the home that Mother Nature is to us all and how important she is.
Aaralyn has worked with the High Land Waters Métis Community council on a video Documentary about the Métis way of life, and how knowledge is passed down from generation to generation. This documentary is called Mamawapowok, it has been screened by many at the 2018 Métis Nation of Ontario Annual General Assembly.
Aaralyn holds a diploma in Acting for Film and Television from Niagara College.
Amy Hull is a graduate of the BFA Hons. Dance program, Performance and Choreography stream, and current MA Candidate in Dance at York University. Her research interests include Indigenous representation in theatrical dance, Death and Dying Studies, and Critical Race Studies. Amy’s MA research focuses on and analyzes the Canadian legacy of ballets that feature an Indigenous death as a main plot point from a critical race lens. Her work problematizes the ventriloquism of Indigenous peoples and the exclusions made of Indigenous ballet dancers when telling these Indigenous stories.
Amy has worked internationally with AVA Dance Company on the production No Woman’s Land (formerly UKI survivor) and locally in Toronto with Balancing on the Edge new circus and new music collective. Most recently, she has contributed to the Virtual Creative Native project in the creation of a music video for Buffy Sainte-Marie. She is also a contributor to The Dance Current.
Pheonix McGregor is an Ojibwe from M’Chigeeng First Nation. An educator by day and singer by night, he joined Creative Native searching for ways to fuel and share his passion for music. He hopes to share the knowledge he’s gained with others to inspire them to pursue and achieve their goals.
Seth Vlotaros is an emerging Two-Spirit artist with a passion for filmmaking and photography. While growing up in Rainy River First Nations, Seth was able to express himself through the creations of YouTube videos and cultural practices. Due to his involvement with his culture Seth is now inspired and motivated to break the stigma against his culture, and to bring awareness all through the art of filmmaking and photography.
Aqua Nibii Waawaaskone embodies a beautiful mixture of Anishnaabe/Ojibwe, Irish, and French heritage. They lead hand drum circles, ceremonies, workshops, and perform their beautiful medicine music solo and with their band, Red Rhythm & Blues, where they are the creator, lead vocalist, and drummer. Aqua thoughtfully crafts each song from their life experience as an IndigiQueer person of mixed ancestry. Performing with Melissa Tesfaye, Kayla Sutherland, Mariah Harrison and Jasmin Day.
Curation and Production Team:
Amy Hull, Curator
Tom Kuo, Producer
Angela Xu, Stage Manager
Co-presented with:
Image from Odenang: I Belong Somewhere, a short film by Tashie Broadbent, Eddie Frappier, Jessica Frappier and Feather Sutherland with mentorship from Naomi Condo, Nava Waxman, and KJ Edwards, part of the Virtual Creative Native Project, 2021.