Turtlesback

For a while now Native Earth had been talking about different ways to get our stories out. Meanwhile, Seneca College wanted to do some applied research through the Canada Interactive Fund through HeritageCanada. From the beginning it was a partnership in the true sense of the word.

Given the challenge of providing content that would challenge the Seneca researchers to come up with top-quality, innovative work we set out to build a portal that had several components:

·     A connection to our blog

·     A demonstration of our Made to Order theatre offerings

·     A computer game based on a creation story

·     A GPS app that would tell people a little about the history and culture of the land upon which they were standing.

As we approached the first meeting last spring Donna-Michelle St. Bernard and I figured that if Seneca agreed to do one or two of those things it would be great. Imagine our delight when the folks at Seneca agreed to do all four. Imagine our further delight when the folks at Heritage Canada agreed to fund all the activities!!! That meant we had to do it.

The path of working with the entire team from Seneca was a combination of education for all involved. We learned the complications of compositing an animated baby into video of a car that is supposed to be moving. They learned about the culture of the Aboriginal people in a way that was a far cry from the world of Walt Disney. We all learned the lessons of mutual respect and the bond that forms when people work on something important together.

The official launch of Turtlesback will be in the middle of next month (watch this space for the announcement). I will leave the official ‘thank yous’ for that occasion. But, I do need to take a moment to thank Donna-Michelle. The ideas that sprang from her fruitful imagination certainly provided the researchers and animators some wonderful material. As well, Laura Jo Gunter of Seneca College who had the vision to call Native Earth and had the vision to see the benefits this project would have for her students, her institution, Native Earth and our people across this Turtle Island.

-Jed DeCory

Community Liaison Aqua learns how to "WinTalk"

 

Issac Thomas performing Wintalkers at the AGM

I can now proudly say I am a WINTALKER! After spending a week with the very talented Keith Barker, Craig Lauzon, Waawaate Fobister, and last but certainly not least Isaac Thomas, I learned how to laugh at myself!

The experience was pure joy! Rehearsals were closer to being with friends, sitting around pulling each others legs, then reading lines. Having a director who is also a working actor made the rehearsal process easy going and open in such a way that anyone could speak their own opinions regarding character choice, choreography, blocking, and just about anything!

Following our outrageous performance of WinTalkers at the Annual General Meeting for Native Earth, it was evident that our NEPA family is supportive, loving, and best of all, they think we’re funny! Having our wonderful family see the piece before performing it for George Brown was an advantage, as it warmed us up and pumped us up for a younger and more vocal audience.

WinTalkers was definitely a hit at George Brown as the Community Workers’ students laughed and added their energy to the already lively show. We even had some walk-ins that stayed just to see if Isaac would dance again! His rendition of “Eye of the Tiger” stole the show as it encouraged the audience and his fellow actors to “shake what our mama gave us” too! In the end, the WinTalking experience was so enjoyable the performances weren’t even needed to feel fulfilled, however, sharing our silly jokes and expressive voices with the audience made the whole process amazing!

Finally, I was able to see how positive and exciting the Made to Order program can make any subject (even racism and dealing with stereotypes). It forced me to look at life in a positive way, laugh about the small things and to try and not sweat the big things.

The Tao of US

I fear if I say this, I'll be punished.  I got this thing in me that doesn't want to trust it, doesn't want to believe it, doesn't think I deserve it ...

But the truth is I feel lucky.  I feel happy. It's been going on a few years now, it's a project still incomplete, I still got a lot of messed up small me to sort through, but as an adult I've never known this. I'm thankful for it, I'm lucky for it. But the truth is, if you asked me, how's it going, I gotta say, it's going good.

For long time I've been living out of a frustrated worldview, illusions of what my age means, what and where I should have been, things I long should have achieved.  There was no now.  There was a tormented past of almosts and should have beens, and a future I thought I wanted that seemed forever receding into non-being.  And then, in time, you get older, you sink into the now more, the this is it, this is truly where and who you are.

We just wrapped the Strong Medicine theatre to video promo shoot.  A piece about anti-smoking, respecting tobacco, etc.  But the prayer that was answered here wasn't about the "educational message" of the show (that was brilliantly created in the script by Yvette Nolan I should add), it was about touching upon another "you're a lucky human being" experience. 

I'm supposed to write about the process, filmmaking stuff, and I thought I would sit down here and chat about that.  But the truth is, and I realize this could sound heavy handed, but I don't really care about "filmmaking"

anymore, this shoot helped confirm that.  I want to share this profound experience of being alive.  That's it. I have no idea if I'm any good at what I do, or try to do, or if what I do is any good, or if I have anything insightful to say about an art form I'm struggling to get better at.  But I do know this: NEPA has human beings involved in its doors.  Human beings with spirit.  Kindness. Smiles.  A chance to celebrate and be alive with other good souls.

I'm sure I sound like a wanker by now.  A little hammered at an after party?

I'm not.  I'm in an airport lounge by myself. Drinking water and eating a granola bar.  Sexy, I know.  But you know what I really think about the shoot? I'm gonna miss them.  Life's funny that way.  For all the studying of the craft that I've done, which began 17 years ago in the same location we shot this project at (York University campus), I've learned this: the art form ultimately doesn't matter.  The deliverable doesn't matter, or any sense of job well done.  It's the people.  The relationships. Them. That momentary and all too fleeting Us. And while there was that Us I was stupidly happy.  And I hope the path leads to more Us's, with all of Them.

-Contributed by Shane Belcourt