Category: Arts and Entertainment

Tim Whiskeychan’s $5 coin now available

Tim Whiskeychan is officially a minted success. In September, the Nation reported that the Royal Canadian Mint would use the Cree artist’s design for a special edition $5 coin. The coin, which features a Cree hunter aiming his bow at flying geese from behind a blind, was launched at a ... read more ››

Art Rascals

An “inveterate rascal,” Azban is a laughing spirit who lives in a world of unbridled growth and irrepressible abundance. Abernaki-Wendat artist Christine Sioui-Wawanoloath draws her inspiration from the lively spirit world of Azban. And that’s why the 22nd edition of the Montreal First Peoples’ Festival titled her exhibition “Masks, Drawings, ... read more ››

Melissa Pash honoured at CAMA

Chisasibi’s multi-talented musician Melissa Pash is this year’s winner of the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards’ Music Industry Award. The award is given to an individual making a significant, positive impact on Canadian Aboriginal music. Pash wasn’t expecting to win the award. She is very flattered, she says, but it doesn’t change ... read more ››

Do-si-do in Chisasibi

Chisasibi will be swinging partners round and round at its Annual Invitational Square Dance Competition at Job’s Memorial Garden September 5-8. Competitions will be held in four different age groups: junior (12 and under), youth (13-21), preadults (22-29), and adults (30 and over). Within the age groups the categories include ... read more ››

Shaman story

The critically acclaimed follow up to the highly successful Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner is coming to Eeyou Istchee. The Journals of Knud Rasmussen looks at a Danish explorer’s journals and along with it, the unique journey of his Inuit guides. The Nation spoke to Jacquie Carpenter, Audience Events and Tour ... read more ››

Weeneebeg Aboriginal Film and Video Festival

The Weeneebeg Aboriginal Film and Video Festival is an annual five-day festival happening in Moose Factory on March 7-11. Festival organizers say it is a community driven festival drawing on northern experiences. This year they will be presenting works by established and emerging international Aboriginal artists with featured youth workshops ... read more ››

Inuit circus tours Arctic

The Cirque du Soleil is being given a run for its money by a new initiative created to help Northern youth find their creative spark. Artcirq, a troupe from Igloolik, Nunavut, worked with Montreal’s Cirque Eloise to create opportunities for troubled youth to learn more about drumming, throat singing and many ... read more ››

Glenna Matoush – The art of living an empowered life

Glenna Matoush is known across the globe for her masterful and celebrated canvases. She presently has works exhibited in the National Gallery, has had major shows in Toronto and Europe, was once a special invitee of the Vatican to display her work and very soon her art will be displayed ... read more ››

Aglukark’s Earth is Blood Red

Musician, activist and public speaker Susan Aglukark has just signed with the Winnipeg-based Aboriginal record label Arbor Records, which on Aug. 8 will release her sixth album, Blood Red Earth. Aglukark, who sings in a melange of Inuktitut and English, has sold over 400,000 albums in Canada to date. She will ... read more ››

From the mean streets to the recording studio – Hip Hopper Daybi’s future looks bright

“He may be a man of humble origins, but for rapper, award-winning producer, emcee, director, editor, and graphic designer Daybi, things are just beginning to heat up. The Nation caught up with him earlier this year to see what kinds of hot projects he has on the burner, what it ... read more ››

Mohawk Girls Are Popular

Rezolution Pictures has taken home the Alanis Obomsawin Award for Best Documentary at the ImagineNATIVE film festival in Toronto. The winners were announced on October 23 and Director Tracey Deer was on hand to accept the award for her film Mohawk Girls. “It was a real honour to win because there were ... read more ››

One More River Nominated for Gemini

Rezolution Pictures’ compelling and controversial film documentary, One More River, has been nominated for a Gemini Award. The film will be competing for the Donald Brittain Award for the Best Social/Political Documentary Program. The Gemini Awards, which recognize the best in Canadian Television, will air November 19 on Global TV at ... read more ››

Rezolution Pictures Scores Hat Trick at Film Fest

The 15th Annual Land Insights First People’s Fest – or at least what we’ve seen of it before press time – has been a great success and they owe that in large part to the Cree film company Rezolution Pictures and director Tracey Deer’s first solo effort, Mohawk Girls. The documentary, ... read more ››

Aboriginal Architecture Documentary to Air on APTN

A new documentary about Native architecture in North America will be shown on APTN this month. The film, entitled Aboriginal Architecture, Living Architecture, looks at how Native people are using their traditional architecture to redesign modern buildings. Directed and produced by Cree filmmaker, Paul M. Rickard, the film looks at a wide ... read more ››

The Nation Bags 6 QCNA Awards and 3 Honourable Mentions

Tooting one’s own horn is usually not acceptable, but since we only do it once a year, here goes! The Nation took home six awards at the 25th annual Quebec Community Newspaper Awards, held May 27 at the Holiday Inn in Pointe Claire. The awards recognize the best individual writing and ... read more ››

Midgets and Jugglers and Flares, oh my! – A Review of Cirque de Soleil’s Corteo

The Cirque de Soleil is always trying to reinvent itself while staying close enough to its roots so as not to be confused with other, lesser acts. And on Friday, May 13th, I tried my luck with their latest installment, Corteo. After leaning toward adult productions, the Cirque has come back ... read more ››

Cree Broadcasting Website

After years of discussing the possibility, it’s now a reality. The Cree Radio Network can now be heard on the Internet. “We worked on it seriously this time around,” said Luke MacLeod, Executive Director of the James Bay Cree Communications Society. MacLeod said going online was something that was needed. “There have ... read more ››

One More River Documentary Wins Prestigious Award

A Cree documentary that highlighted the divide between Crees who lobbied for a $3.5 billion hydroelectric deal with Quebec and those opposed to it has been awarded one of Quebec’s most prestigious awards at a French language festival. One More River, produced by the Cree film company Rezolution Pictures and co-directed ... read more ››

Cree Film on AIP Makes Debut

A Cree film chronicling the signing of the Paix des Braves Agreement – aptly titled One More River – made its French language debut at the Cinematheque Quebecoise February 19. Produced by Rezolution Pictures, a Cree company, the documentary takes viewers on a journey through the eyes of two trappers, a ... read more ››

First Son a Testament to the Marginalized

He was a simple man taking simple pictures. That is what one person had to say about the current exhibition at the Montreal McCord Museum by early 20th century photographer Chow Dong Hoy. Hoy lived in the B.C. interior at that time, where the melting pot of cultures was well under ... read more ››

Mandaau, Strangers No More

The Ouje-Bougoumou duo of Richard Bosum and Kenny Mianscum really know how to rock the house. Their concert at the St. Elias convention centre in Haines Junction, Yukon, drew approximately 500 people over two days. Sharing the duties of playing the acoustic guitar and singing in Cree, Mandaau belted out some of ... read more ››

Odinnok Theatre Looking for Actors

The Odinnok Theatre Group, which is working in collaboration with the National Arts and Theatre School of Canada, will soon be holding auditions. All interested candidates should register two weeks before the dates shown below. It’s open to all Native persons 18 years and over, who speak French and who are ... read more ››

Chisasibi Youth Get Chance to Strut Their Stuff

The kids are dancing in the streets in Chisasibi, to hip-hop music no less. Sixty kids got the chance to learn how to dance, hip-hop style, from July 20-29. Tamara and Sarah Podemski put on a hip-hop dance workshop in collaboration with the Brighter Futures Program and organizers Nelly and Lisa ... read more ››

Cree Company Launches Hip Native Sitcom

Rezolution Pictures International, a Cree production company co-owned by Ernest Webb of Chisasibi, is trying to become a part of television history. Their latest project, Moose TV, is set to take the Native world by storm and become a newer, hipper replacement for North of 60. Webb says the project has ... read more ››

Thespians, Take Note

So you want to be a star. This summer you may have a chance. Yves Sioui Durand, artistic director of the Odinnok Theatre, and Simon Brault, director general of the National Theatre School of Canada (NTSC), are pleased to announce the launch of a new theatre workshop program for Native Artists. This ... read more ››

First Peoples Festival Kicks Off Fest Season in Montreal

Opening night for the Rezolution Pictures’ screening of Dab Iiyyuu at the Land Insights Festival was hot. Notables included filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin, who was on hand to see what the Crees were up to. She got to see Sonny get his first goose. Dab Iiyyuu is a touching story of hunting. ... read more ››