{"id":64422,"date":"2019-11-06T11:57:11","date_gmt":"2019-11-06T16:57:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=64422"},"modified":"2019-11-06T12:01:06","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T17:01:06","slug":"preview-cree-sami-culture-meet-operatic-form-soundstreams-two-odysseys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2019\/11\/06\/preview-cree-sami-culture-meet-operatic-form-soundstreams-two-odysseys\/","title":{"rendered":"PREVIEW | Cree And Sami Culture Meet In Operatic Form In Soundstreams\u2019 Two Odysseys"},"content":{"rendered":"

Soundstreams explores Indigenous opera by bringing together Cree opera Pimooteewin<\/em> and G\u00e1ll\u00e1b\u00e1rtnit<\/em>, a new work in S\u00e1mi, in Two Odysseys<\/em>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Top
Top l-r Heli Huovinen, Michael Greyeyes, Cole Alvis; bottom l-r Yolanda M Bonnell, Asitha Tennekoon (Photos courtesy of the artists)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

C<\/span>anada always existed as a mix of two contrasting populations: the Indigenous and the newcomers. Ironically, it was the newcomers who imposed brutal rulings over the Indigenous, and the impact of this colonization process has left a deep mark in our heritage. There are many real problems that Indigenous communities continue to face, including basic rights, such as water<\/span><\/a><\/span>. However, there are also efforts being made to re-establish and showcase this proud Indigenous heritage within our nation, and after a decade since its premiere in 2008, the first Cree opera, Pimooteewin<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/span>, is returning to the stage with a new companion opera in S\u00e1mi, G\u00e1ll\u00e1b\u00e1rtnit<\/i><\/a> <\/span>in Soundstreams\u2019 Two Odysseys<\/i><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

The idea of Indigenous opera is an interesting one. \u201cIt\u2019s a complicated relationship between the words Indigenous and opera,\u201d says Yolanda Bonnell<\/a>,<\/span> narrator of Pimooteewin<\/em>. \u201cI mean, opera itself is a colonial art, for that was brought to Indigenous lands. It can be a beautiful reclamation of storytelling and a way to experiment with colonial practice in an Indigenous way.\u201d Yolanda is Anishinaabe-Ojibwe and South Asian, from Fort William First Nation near Thunder Bay, Ontario, and she sees the role of narrator in a few different perspectives:<\/p>\n

\u201cNarrators are nothing, if not the primary storyteller \u2014 the omniscient being that can see into the past, present and future. The narrator (in Pimooteewin<\/em>) is interesting because she also has the ability to cast the players in the story \u2014 there\u2019s some level of orchestration involved as well. And she is the bridge between the witnesses (audience) and the story \u2014 the only one who can really see them. And she has a personal stake in this story \u2014 the third narrative that threads the two operas together.\u201d<\/p>\n

The themes of longing and loss, the ideas around superbeings and creatures that come from the sky, are shared between two stories, and when Yolanda travels to the world of G\u00e1ll\u00e1b\u00e1rtnit<\/em> to meet the S\u00e1mi narrator (Heli Huovinen<\/a><\/span>), this third perspective connects the two very different groups. \u201cI balance on the line between a player in the story, and continuing to learn the lesson as the narrator. That\u2019s the interesting thing for me \u2014 telling of this third narrative \u2014 the journey that my character is on. She doesn\u2019t get what she wants in the first act, so she continues onto the next, to see if she can find it there. It\u2019s a really interesting way of tying the two together,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

When Yolanda crosses into G\u00e1ll\u00e1b\u00e1rtnit<\/em>,<\/i> she will take us with her to the S\u00e1mi world created by librettist Rawdna Carita Eira<\/a><\/span> and composer Britta Bystr\u00f6m<\/a><\/span>, into the traditional ways of S\u00e1mi \u2014 including everyday tasks, S\u00e1mi values, and views on spirituality. \u201cIn S\u00e1mi belief system, we have people who can travel between different spiritual spaces, \u201csays Heli. \u201cThey are helpers and healers, and they can get information and messages from spiritual world. This narrator is one of them, and she wants to help some who\u2019s lost \u2014 she casts people from Bardo, where she currently is, to tell this story together with her.\u201d<\/p>\n

G\u00e1ll\u00e1b\u00e1rtnit<\/i><\/a> <\/span>means bear, but it\u2019s also the name of S\u00e1mi ancestors, who were elevated to the heavens after death for their positive reputations built while they lived on earth. There are multiple layers to certain words in certain cultures, and it\u2019s the narrator who will guide us through the overlaps, in this case, about a woman choosing the unknown<\/a><\/span>. Coming from a small village of 600 inhabitants, 300km north of the Arctic Circle, it seems fitting to have Heli flown across the vast northern sky to unfold this adventure.<\/p>\n

And what of the bear? The role of Guov\u017e\u017ea the Bear is sung by Asitha Tennekoon<\/a><\/span>. When the Bear meets his love-to-become, \u00c1ile, the story unfolds, and Asitha weaves another layer into this storytelling \u2014 a personal one. \u201cAs a South Asian, I think I bring a certain element of understanding with regard to how important it is to celebrate and share stories based in communities not traditionally associated with opera,\u201d she says. \u201cSomething I think is an integral step towards keeping opera healthy and relevant.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the question why it took so long for us to tell and listen to our own Indigenous stories amongst our own communities, Asitha answers with a hint of caution:<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the question (unintentionally) makes it sound like the problem has been solved, whereas I believe we still have a long way to go. The problem I\u2019m alluding to is access. For at least the past couple of centuries, opera has been one of the faces of elitism. As such it has become inaccessible to people and communities who are not traditionally associated with opera. Not only that, it also becomes unapproachable because of the social and economic connotations with which it is associated. It\u2019s a convenient way of keeping opera, and classical music in general, within a protective cocoon, purposely or inadvertently preserving it as the last vestige of a social hierarchy which has no place in 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo while it is encouraging to see an emphasis being placed on telling the types of stories we\u2019ve been working on in Two Odysseys<\/em>, their impact will be even stronger when larger companies realize the merits of investing in, and celebrating ALL the cultures which make up the community they are supposed to serve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole Alvis<\/span><\/a><\/span> (Manidoons<\/a>lemonTree creations<\/a><\/span>) is co-directing TO with Michael Greyeyes, and he is keenly aware of this problem: the exclusion of Indigenous culture, not only in opera, but in Canadian Arts in general, and for him, this production means an important opportunity to create an inclusion. \u201cWhen Canadian art first defined itself, it did so without Indigenous people in leadership roles. An opportunity this production provides is for opera and classical \/ contemporary music audiences to witness stories that have been sung here since time immemorial, told by artists from those communities who are still here,\u201d says Cole.<\/p>\n

\"Working
Working on Two Odysseys in a summer workshop (Photo : Lawrence Cherney)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

C<\/span>ole is a Michif (M\u00e9tis) with Chippewa, Irish, and English heritage from the Turtle Mountains, and he is cognizant of the resilience of both Indigenous culture and people, that despite state sanctioned pressures, the community continues to thrive. \u201cIndigenous peoples have been and continue to tell their stories even when the practice went underground. In 1880 an amendment to the Indian Act that governs Indigenous peoples in Canada criminalized songs and dances,\u201d Cole says. Quoting the Potlatch Ban<\/a><\/span>:<\/p>\n

“Every Indian or other person who engages in or assists in celebrating the Indian festival known as the “Potlatch” or in the Indian dance known as the “Tamanawas” is guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be liable to imprisonment … and any Indian or other person who encourages … an Indian or Indians to get up such a festival or dance, or to celebrate the same, … is guilty of a like offence…”<\/p>\n

Cole explains that though this law remained in effect until 1951 with the express intent to assimilate Indigenous peoples, the ceremony is still alive in the communities. \u201cPotlatch ceremonies continue to be practiced by Coastal First Nations, including the Nisga\u2019a and Tsimshian Nations, whose carver Mike Dangeli<\/a> <\/span>created the masks for G\u00e1ll\u00e1b\u00e1rtnit<\/em>. Working with the masks has been a delight. We were gifted protocols to care for them and are proud they have joined our team of artists assembled to tell these stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole\u2019s favourite moment in TO is when the two women narrators from both stories meet, but the scene is truly bittersweet, as it signifies not only an artistic success, but also is a reminder of the current issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG<\/a><\/span>). \u201cThe resilience of Indigenous women is how I am alive today and it is powerful to me when the two narrators immediately recognize the strength within each other,\u201d says Cole.<\/p>\n

For Bryan Martin, this opportunity to sing as a member of choir has brought the musical joy of both operas, and a chance to immerse himself in true, vibrant individual stories. \u201cIt\u2019s true, I\u2019m a white man of a certain age \u2014 in fact, the only person on stage older than me is David Fallis (Musical Director)! But we spent a lot of time in this project talking about where we come from, and it\u2019s been fascinating to hear. Some very powerful stories, not all good, but important because they have shaped who we are,\u201d says Bryan.<\/p>\n

This effort, to connect everyone to the project, is a rare approach. With these works\u2019 technical demands, especially regarding the languages, the preparation has been a challenge and a highlight for Bryan. \u201cWe\u2019ve been really lucky to have Rawdna Carita Eiral and Arlene Caribou to help us, and we also have a recording of Tomson Highway reading Pimooteewin<\/em>, which has been invaluable,\u201d says Bryan. And when they sang a part of Pimooteewin<\/em> for Arlene one day, Bryan saw her face, and knew that it would work. \u201cShe said she has never heard her language sung so beautifully. That might have been the most satisfying thing I\u2019ve ever experienced.\u201d<\/p>\n

How should we go, into this unusual mix of words, Indigenous + opera? \u201cI would suggest that one should remember that this is not storytelling in the way that one might be used to, and that the beauty of stories can be lost in translation,\u201d says Yolanda. Instead of getting caught up in the words, Yolanda proposes that you come, and to understand through feeling as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean \u2014 we\u2019ve been telling stories for years. I think we just haven\u2019t been given many platforms. For settlers who aren\u2019t interested in a real relationship with Indigenous folks \u2014 it\u2019s more digestible for our stories to come from one of their own or told in a colonial format. Then they get to feel good about \u2018supporting the Natives.\u2019 That\u2019s what\u2019s marketable, right? Playing to your patrons,\u201d says Yolanda.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut there has been a dynamic shift in support of Indigenous theatre. We still have a long way to go, but at least now we\u2019re getting more opportunities to tell all kinds of stories. We need to be able to talk about our experiences using our own voices and it doesn\u2019t always have to be about our trauma, because we\u2019re more than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cole believes that this is<\/em> the opportunity to showcase Indigenous language, knowledge and technologies to a larger audience. Librettist Tomson Highway once said that, \u201cIn Aboriginal mythology, there\u2019s no heaven and there is no hell. You cross a kind of River Styx and you go into this region of the human consciousness.\u201d Perhaps it\u2019s time, for us \u2014 whether we\u2019re from here, or have come to be here \u2014 to cross the worlds that have been separated for so long and realize that there is no theirs and ours, but that there\u2019s just us \u2014 all of us<\/em>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome for the opera \u2014 stay for the Indigenous excellence,\u201d Yolanda says.<\/p>\n

Soundstreams, with partners Signal Theatre and the S\u00e1mi National Theatre, present Two Odysseys: Pimooteewin\/G\u00e1ll\u00e1b\u00e1rtnit<\/em>, November 13 to 17, 2019, Daniels Spectrum, 585 Dundas St. East, Toronto. Details<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Want more updates on classical music and opera news and reviews? Follow us\u00a0on <\/em>Facebook<\/b><\/a><\/em><\/span>, <\/em>Instagram<\/b><\/a><\/em><\/span> <\/b>or <\/em>Twitter<\/b><\/a><\/em><\/span> for all the latest.<\/em><\/p>\n

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