Youth inspired by the Aanmitaagzi Summer Arts Program to create art
By Kelly Anne Smith
NIPISSING FIRST NATION—The creative, energetic youth of The Aanmitaagzi Summer Theatre Arts Program has helped Big Medicine Studio bring art to the broader community.
The Aanmitaagzi Summer Theatre Arts Program is on the national stage as the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour Patricia (Patty) Hajdu made a funding announcement at the Big Medicine Studio. The Canada Summer Jobs program is providing $18,000 to Aanmitaagzi Summer Theater Arts Program located on the shore of Lake Nipissing.
The Honourable Patricia Hadju praised Aanmitaagzi for creating such an incredible program.
“Wow, what a tour. It’s a hard go—being artists. But when I see what Sid and Penny are doing here—to merge art and economy to make a living but also to inspire young people—that’s a real gift.”
Nipissing-Timiskaming Member of Parliament (MP) Anthony Rota provided Minister Hadju and Liberal MPs Terry Sheehan of Sault St. Marie and Nicklebelt’s Marc Serré with a tour of the Aanmitaagzi Summer Arts Program at Big Medicine Studio on July 26. Tour guides were Co-Creative Directors Penny Couchie of Nipissing First Nation and Sid Bobb of Salish Territory in British Columbia.
A core-founding member of Aanmitaagzi is Elder, artist, and ‘Auntie’ of Penny, Carole Guppy of Nipissing First Nation who is affiliated with Temagami First Nation. She also spoke at the podium, saying she was honoured to work with the youth.
“We just finished a really awesome project. We went to Saugeen (First Nation) to do one of our storytelling exercises. I’m really grateful that we have these opportunities. Our youth are important to us. We have to support them and give them the opportunities to tell their stories.”
In his speech, Bobb called the 2018 summer arts program group a vibrant one.
“They have a diverse set of dreams from wanting to open up a hunt-camp based programming to wanting to create long-term shelters for people of various needs. They have a far-reaching vision.”
Bobb explained the direction of Aanmitaagzi exploring the idea of how people relate to the word ‘art’.
“Where does it begin for them? We are looking at the role that art plays in the culture and way of life.”
He then discussed the many events in the summer theatre program.
“In the first week, we built a sweat lodge with the youth and did a bit of landscaping around it. Then the second week we went out and harvested a set of 40-foot teepee poles. We went out in the bush with them and they endured the bugs and the heat, like any teepee pole harvester would that time of year. Then we did three weeks of play creation and then worked with the installation event.”
The company produced a 45-minute performance in amongst the installations with their team of professional artists and the 10 youth for the Saugeen First Nation festival July 21-22.
The two weeks after that followed involved sewing up the teepee cover for a 30-foot teepee. A grandfather drum was also made for the studio. The youth also made birch bark basket works and quillwork for themselves.
Bobb said that because the students are of college and university age, the studio set a high bar to run them through a little bit of each part of what is done as a company.
“They really worked hard as a company this summer on creating capacity for the community.”
The teepee built this month could be used in the future for special occasions such as memorials and sacred fires.
Autumn Hookimaw, a member of Attawapiskat First Nation, is attending the Aanmitaagzi Summer Arts Program for the third summer. She enjoys performing.
“Yes I do! I’m a dancer. I’ve been dancing pow wow for years and I’m professionally trained in jazz, ballet and modern. Here, I learn a lot of new stuff. It never gets old.”
A member of Nipissing First Nation, Kelsey Borgford enjoys being outdoors.
“It’s been fun putting up the teepee. I’ve only put up a teepee two times before so I’ve learned more such as peeling the teepee poles.
Asked about working with Miguel of Spider Woman Theatre, Thaila Sarazin, a member of Golden Lake First Nation, called her a great actress.
“She has a lot of skills to share. She’s been in the industry for years doing story weaving. We saw first-hand how that process worked with our own stories. We saw the process of her pulling out different parts of the story and putting them together. I think what she was really doing was to listen to the important parts of our own stories and help us realize the parts that we really wanted to tell.”
Miigewan Buswa, an Ojibway from Treaty 3, says stories are crucial.
“Especially for Indigenous youth, it’s really important that we get to share certain things that we might not get the opportunity to share otherwise. Oftentimes, as Indigenous youth we are looked over or pushed to the side. It’s nice to have this time dedicated towards letting us express what we are feeling or what we want to talk about.”