Aanmitaagzi artists Fringe performance a storytelling delight
By Kelly Anne Smith
NORTH BAY— ALL MY R(el)ATIONS played the On the Edge Fringe Festival on the cool, green grass on Oak Street in North Bay, Ont., under warm, orange skies as the sun set over Lake Nipissing.
Aanmitaagzi artists and Summer Arts School participants wowed in the multi-arts performance on August 13. Over 100 people enjoyed the joyous hour of dance, singing, and drumming, caberat, beats, regalia, and modern dance.
Aanmitaagzi’s latest work-in-progress is ALL MY R(el)ATIONS. It’s an exploration of historically rooted ways to return to abundance through connections to ourselves and Creation.
Sid Bobb is of Salish and Sto:lo origins and Penny Couchie of Nipissing First Nation and are directors of Aanmitaagzi at Big Medicine Studio.
Bobb was buoyant in conversation just after having the closing sharing circle with the participants of the Aanmitaagzi Summer Arts Program in the teepee at Big Medicine Studio.
Bobb explains that the summer program is an eight-week intensive under the close creativity of lead facilitator Couchie. Aanmitaagzi has a synergistic process, he says.
“We explore through visual arts. So, on the back panels, was a collaborative visual art creation led by Sherry Guppy.”
Guppy also played the character Cyclone in the Fringe performance.
“And then Penny led the overall creation process,” he continues.
Bobb says Aanmitaagzi has been working with the youth over the years, helping them make their regalia in workshops.
“We’ve had youth intern positions throughout the year at different times. They are really focused on outfit making and singing. And this summer, they were all advocating for pow wow to be at the center.”
The weekly Elders Luncheon continued at The Big Medicine Studio throughout the summer program.
“The Youth had the opportunity to prepare the space, the food, support the Elders, and then of course, listen to the stories. And then to also share stories when asked,” Bobb explains. “The paid trainee positions, they were responsible for art-making but also for sweeping the floors, prepping the space, serving the Elders, and also supporting the younger ones.”
Bobb talked about Waseskwan Linklater receiving support from the youth in making regalia.
“I helped make him a drum and I made a drum stand for him. Wase made elements for a woodland outfit and he added elements to his Chicken Dance outfit. He won first place when we went down to Six Nations (of the Grand River). And that’s a hat trick for him, third year in a row of winning first place. And then when he went to Wiky (Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory), he won first place there as well in his category. He’s a champion dancer and I’m sure he’d be a champion singer if he had the chance.”
During the performance, Jacob Dayfox from Sheshegwaning First Nation was tech director running the sound, music, and all the lights as the sun went down.
Choreographer Penny Couchie was the one to help guide the creation of the performance and rehearsal process, says Bobb.
“They often selected their own music in collaboration with Penny. And those are their own stories they brought forward. Penny had asked them, ‘What are you dancing for? And who are you dancing with? And why are you dancing?’ And so, all those stories came out of these explorations that we had together,” says Bobb. “And the Elders’ Luncheon has been the one weekly workshop in the last two-and-half years. Like Ronny Turner who came up and shared a story at the performance has said, it’s been a life-changing event for him, the luncheons. It’s been a powerful group and they’ve been a source of strength for each other…We get together once a week from 12 until 1 pm. We have a beautiful meal either prepared by our artists or by catering cooks that we have – Chris Couchie, Cindy Spence or Gail Weston. And then from 1 to 2:30pm, we share stories in kind of like a round robin. And we help make space for each person to have one round of sharing, but they also can just pass. Like Lorraine Liberty has said, ‘It’s such a gift to have the time and space to just listen’.”
“Yesterday, when we had our last Elders’ Luncheon for the summer, we did an open mic. So, a lot of them got up and sang songs and shared stories and then the Youth and the Elders got to sing and dance together,” Bobb continues. “Ronny (Turner) of Bear Island was sharing in words at the performance. He shared again about how encouraging and powerful to see them express themselves through dance.”
As the half-moon rose, Darren Nakogee of Attawapiskat First Nation cued the Big Drum. Soon after, Sid Bobb had the audience getting to their feet and joining hands with the artists in a round dance.
The 2024 Aanmitaagzi ALL MY R(el)ATIONS work was co-created and performed by Albany Benson, Sid Bobb, Penny Couchie, Ouske Couchie-Bobb, Niganii Dokis, Sherry Guppy, Autumn Hookimaw, Skyler Hookimaw, Mya Katt, Waseskwan Linklater, Malia Mathias-Mizzi, William McGrath, Darren Nakogee, Finn Rice, and Shania Splane. Special guests included Blair Beaucage, Katie Couchie, Brennan Govender, Olivia Shortt, Cody Sutherland, and Ronnie Turner.