Native Earth Presents A Vancouver Moving Theatre Production WEAVING RECONCILIATION: OUR WAY

Native Earth Performing Arts is pleased to present Vancouver Moving Theatre's production of Weaving Reconciliation: Our Way to close its 35th season. Created by an award winning team of Renae Morriseau (Saulteaux Cree), Rosemary Georgeson (Coast Salish/Dene Sahtu), and Savannah Walling, Weaving Reconciliation: Our Way hits the road for its Premiere National Tour with a stop in Toronto from June 6 to 9 at Aki Studio.

Led and performed by Indigenous artists, Weaving Reconciliation: Our Way brings to life the story of Old One (Jonathan Fisher) and his journey to reconcile with himself, his family, and his community. Old One's dream-like healing journey unfolds as he opens himself to his memories, including the impact of residential school on his family, the effect of intergenerational trauma on his daughter Nicole (Tai Amy Grauman), and the decline of the fishing industry and the resulting loss of a working life on the water.

Through humour, games, songs, and gifts of hope from Trickster (Sam Bob) and his Ancestors, Old One witnesses resilience and hope for the future. His journey is further enriched by unscripted cultural sharing by youth and knowledge-keepers. "Weaving Reconciliation: Our Way is about our hopes for a good future, guided by the principles of our cultural past," describes director and lead writer, Renae Morriseau.

Weaving together Indigenous storytelling, cultural teachings, songs, Indigenous languages and the ancient stick game of Slahal, audiences are witnesses to the sharing of cultural practice, oral history, and lived experience.

This unique and timely production, created on Coast Salish Territories (Vancouver/Downtown Eastside), features an ensemble of urban Indigenous actors, elders, and poets, including Vern Bevis ('Darryl-with-a-Chip-on-his-Shoulder'), Sam Bob ('Trickster'), Tania Carter ('Muriel'), Jonathan Fisher ('Old One'), Tai Amy Grauman ('Nicole'), Stephen Lytton ('Steve'), Sophie Merasty ('Mom'), Latash Maurice Nahanee ('Woody'), Tracey Nepinak ('Rosemary') and Delhia Nahanee ('Marge'). Joined by cultural knowledge-keepers of Treaty 13/Toronto, this theatrical event is accompanied with an audio gallery installation and displays from Jumblies' Talking Treaties project, led by Jumblies' Associate Artistic Director Ange Loft.

Weaving Reconciliation: Our Way was developed with the assistance of Playwrights Theatre Centre (PTC) (Vancouver) and Native Earth's annual development festival, Weesageechak Begins to Dance, with consulting dramaturgy by Native Earth's Artistic Director Keith Barker and Jumblies' Associate Artistic Director Ange Loft.

Weaving Reconciliation: Our Way is one of 200 exceptional projects funded by the Canada Council for the Arts' New Chapter Initiative. With this 35 M$ initiative, the Council supports the creation and sharing of the arts in communities across Canada.

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