Latest news with #Kwakwaka'wakw
Hamilton Spectator
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
‘It's so, so powerful': 44th annual Kamloopa Powwow in photos
An estimated 20,000 people attended Kamloopa Powwow last weekend. Hosted at the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc Arbour, this year the powwow marked its 44th year and included a performance from a Māori group from Aotearoa (New Zealand) that sang and danced the Kapa Haka, a group dance with chanting that's referred to as a ' living art form ' of Māori culture. Stuart Patrick Jr., a Nuu-chah-nulth dancer, travelled to perform during the weekend at the powwow. 'We dance for the people,' he says. 'We danced for those who couldn't be there, and then I danced for everybody that was there, in prayers and out of my heart.' For Patrick, as a dancer being part of the powwow is a big opportunity to share his culture with other Indigenous Peoples. 'I went there to get grounded and dance to the heartbeat of the drum,' he says. Patrick was part of the senior men's category, which represents men as the community's protectors. 'We are the protectors of our family, of our nations. We will go to battle. We are the providers,' he says. 'The style that I dance, all the moves that you see, that's our celebration of our battles and wars that we've come across. 'We're telling a story of how we've overcome those battles and why we are here today.' He learned this dancing style from his West Coast culture near Ucluelet. Yasakw (Shelly) Samuels, of Haida and Kwakwaka'wakw ancestry, attended Kamloopa as a vendor. Along with her fiancée, Robert Robinson of Nisga'a Nation, the couple travelled from Haida Gwaii to attend this year's powwow. Samuels, whose Kwakwaka'wakw name is Yasakw, has a small Indigenous business called Yasakw Designs , which sells her jewelry and other handcrafted items made using traditional materials like copper and cedar. This was the second year she and her family attended the powwow. 'It just gave me nostalgia, seeing everyone in their regalia. It's so, so powerful,' Samuels says. 'We're not that far away from the Kamloops Indian Residential school, a place that was supposed to kill the Indian. 'But now here we are, as Indigenous people, practicing our culture right beside [it], it's kind of like taking our power back.' For Samuels, besides it being a powerful experience, the powwow has been important to share with her family and young children. 'I love taking my kids there, it's amazing,' she explains. 'The best part of my job is that my kids get to experience all the culture, that's the most important thing for me.' On Friday night at Kamloopa Powwow, eight-year-old Sulyálesta Grizzlypaws stepped into the arbour wearing elk tooth regalia. 'Her long braids were wrapped in otter fur, adorned with soft pink conch shells that shimmered under the sunlights,' Sulyálesta's mother Laura Grizzlypaws told The Wren via email. 'She wore an elk tooth buckskin dress and moccasins with her basket hat that speak to the beauty and strength of her St'át'imc and Warm Springs heritage. But her dance carried more than beauty — it carried history, love, and resilience. 'Just beyond the arbour stand the walls of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, a place that holds painful memories for her grandmother and countless others who were forced through its doors, stripped of language and culture in an effort to erase Indigenous identity. 'Despite those shadows, Sulyálesta dances with powerful purpose. Each step she takes is an act of honour and resistance, a living testament that the spirit and traditions meant to be extinguished have not only survived but shine brightly through her. 'Her regalia and flowing hair are not mere adornments; they are shields of cultural pride, connecting her to the teachings, ceremonies, and ancestral ways that residential schools tried to destroy.' Sulyálesta is the daughter of Laura Grizzlypaws, Indigenous educational developer, author and a Bear Dancer of the St'át'imc, and Levi Blackwolf of Warm Springs. She belongs to a strong lineage of Chiefs and the Bear Clan community and travels internationally with her mother as a Grizzly Bear Dancer, 'sharing the rich stories, songs, and dances of their people with audiences across the world, from Europe to the Yukon, Alaska, Mexico, California, Orlando, the Dakotas, and the eastern Canadian provinces.' 'Sulyálesta has carried her culture onto global stages since she was just a baby,' Laura continues. 'And here she enters into the arbour at Kamloopa Powwow, surrounded by the echoes of drums and the voices of her people. 'Sulyálesta dances not just for herself, but for her ancestors, her family, and the generations still to come. In her movements, we see proof that Indigenous culture remains alive, vibrant, and unstoppable.' Kamloops' 4 Generations Creations founder Ashely Michel organized a Wear a Ribbon Skirt & Dance Your Style special to honour the origins of her company. 'I was raised by my Mom & Grandma to always give back when I can. So, it has been a goal of mine to 'give back' through my business,' she wrote on social media in the lead-up to the event. 'I started making Ribbon Skirts for my daughter and I in 2013 to attend cultural events. My creations eventually progressed into regalia & we started travelling across Canada to Pow Wows which was the start of my business,' she added. In this photo, Michel's daughter's pink ribbons take flight as she dances in regalia adorned with blue beads. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. 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Vancouver Sun
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
We found these 5 stylish sunglasses that are perfect for summer
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Sunglasses are an essential accessory, especially during the summer months. According to the Canadian Association of Optometrists , there are a few things to consider when shopping for your next pair of sunglasses. In order to maximize sun protection for your eyes, consider a lens that blocks 99 to 100 per cent of UVA and UVB rays. Larger sunglasses, in addition to making a more dramatic style statement, can also increase the area of protection for your eyes. To help you select your next pair, we've rounded up five sunglasses that will see you through your summer adventures in style. Discover the best of B.C.'s recipes, restaurants and wine. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of West Coast Table will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Designed in Montreal, these oversized acetate sunglasses are sure to add a dose of drama to your summer days. Available in a brown or grey hue, the XL shades can also be swapped out for polarized lenses for added glare protection. $169 | Bonlook Perfect for true designer fashion fans, these rectangular sunglasses from Chanel are a style that you'll wear for years (dare we say decades?) to come. Featuring a classic shape, the chic shades are elevated by gold-tone wire detailing around the lens and matching gold temples. $1,225 | Chanel An in-house offering from the Montreal-headquartered retailer Simons, these pastel green shades provide a fun pop of colour. Available in three shades, including this pretty pistachio hue, the '90s-inspired frames promise to provide 100 per cent UV protection (to match their level of 100 per cent style). $19 | Simons Featuring art by Kwakwaka'wakw and Coast Salish artist Maynard Johnny Jr. on the temples, these polycarbonate sunglasses from the company Native Northwest provide sun protection while simultaneously celebrating Indigenous art. The Vancouver-based company, which was founded in 1983, offers a full selection of accessories, home goods and more. $23.99 | Native Northwest Elton John Eyewear Love Song Sun RX Known for over-the-top eyewear, it makes sense that Elton John's namesake collection of glasses would be full of fun and funky designs. Available exclusively at Specsavers in Canada, we love these round-shaped sunglasses from the line. The glossy black frames see added interest — and cuteness — thanks to a border of multicoloured miniature hearts. $249 | Specsavers
CTV News
05-06-2025
- CTV News
Calls for improved security after totem pole stolen from former Tamaracouta Scout Reserve
A totem pole, carved by a Chief Mungo Martin of the Kwakwaka'wakw First Nation in B.C. more than 70 years ago, was recently stolen.
Montreal Gazette
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
Dunlevy: Montreal documentary hunts for stolen indigenous masks that inspired surrealists
The repatriation and restitution of art and cultural materials is a hot topic these days. A prime example is estates trying to reclaim objects taken by the Nazis or sold by Jews under duress as they fled Germany. But there's another example closer to home. Montrealer Joanna Robertson and Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond's absorbing new documentary So Surreal: Behind the Masks explores what happened to Yup'ik and Kwakwaka'wakw ceremonial masks taken from these indigenous tribes in Alaska and British Columbia's northwest coast more than a century ago by traders, government officials and collectors. The masks were brought as far as New York, where they inspired some of the great European surrealist artists, who were living in exile mid-century, and eventually made their way to auction houses, world-famous museums and private collections. Leading us on an investigative journey to learn the significance of these masks, the circumstances of their removal and where they ended up is Diamond. He appears on camera throughout the film as an unassuming, intrepid protagonist, pushing the narrative forward with playful determination. He has done the same in his other films, including 2009's Reel Injun, which examined the problematic portrayals of Native Americans in Hollywood westerns, earning him and co-directors Catherine Bainbridge and Jeremiah Hayes three Gemini Awards and a Peabody Award. 'I've gotten quite comfortable (on screen),' Diamond said recently, over coffee with Robertson at Outremont's Croissanterie Le Figaro. 'Sometimes I forget the camera's rolling and I just act real goofy.' 'I think people appreciate it,' Robertson said. 'You bring a lot of humour to these (potentially) doom and gloom situations.' One amazing shot in the documentary shows Diamond puffing on a cigarette as he rides a bicycle down the middle of the road in the bustling Champs Élysées, with the Eiffel Tower behind him, and ponders his next move. Inspired by their subjects, the filmmakers take a surrealist approach to the storytelling as they weave together disparate clues and different ways of seeing the situation. On the one hand are Yup'ik tribe members who are happy to see their masks being preserved and showcased under the same roof as the Mona Lisa: One magical moment finds Yup'ik artist and storyteller Chuna McIntyre singing and dancing joyously as he approaches one of his tribe's masks on display at the Louvre, during an after-hours visit. On the other are members the Kwakwaka'wakw and their allies, who are in a continuing fight to see their masks — including many stolen during Canada's Potlach ban in 1921 — come home. At the heart of the intrigue is a quest to locate a mystical Raven Transformation Mask and possibly converse with its current owner about its eventual return. Somewhere in the middle are the wild surrealists — Max Ernst, André Breton, Roberto Matta, Enrico Donati and Joan Miró — and their friends, including famed French anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss, who were endlessly stimulated by the otherworldly dreamscapes evoked by these masks. The extent to which they were aware of how these artifacts were obtained is unclear. 'I'm grateful we're able to shine a light on these stories, which are so fundamental to our understanding of who we are — of colonization and also the importance of Indigenous storytelling and culture,' Robertson said. 'The surrealists saw something — they lived through war after war after war — and they saw something in these masks, however problematic, as a reminder there's another way of being, and of seeing the world.' She expressed hope their film can foster empathy toward indigenous communities and all that they have lost. 'Yeah,' Diamond agreed, 'because if you lose your culture, you have nothing else.'
The Age
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Think you know First Nations music? This block party will blow your mind
Soju Gang was probably always destined to become a DJ. 'When it comes to blackfellas, we grew up listening to everything. We grew up to blues, Motown jazz, but then heavy metal, rock, rap, hip-hop. Some people like folk music, some people get into more electronic music as well.' But, she says, music by First Nations artists is often 'pigeonholed into either a very specific rock sound or hip-hop R&B'. Soju Gang – real name Sky Thomas – hopes to shift that perspective. She's producing the Uncle Archie Roach Block Party at this year's YIRRAMBOI festival of First Nations artists. The block party will take place on May 10 across three CBD venues and feature more than 30 musicians and DJs, with acts ranging from neo-soul punk (DANCINGWATER) and glittery indie pop (Jem Cassar-Daley) to bad girl rapper Miss Kaninna. Then there are the international artists such as Kwakwaka'wakw/Cree vocalist Nimkish and her trashy bedroom pop, Canadian duo PIQSIQ, whose elaborate live looping of Inuit throat singing defies written description, and up-and-coming Kiwi DJ sensations Katayanagi Twins. Thomas travelled to last year's International Indigenous Music Summit in Toronto as part of the YIRRAMBOI team. 'We were there to showcase who we are and what we do, but it was also a way for me to properly interact with other First Nations artists across the waters.' It was a chance to learn more about the practices of other artists and see them perform, she says, but just as important were the stories behind the music. 'It's not just like, 'Oh, I like their sound, that's it.' It's about who people are and what they offer. When it comes to First Nations people globally, we are not a monolith. Everybody has their own specific story to tell.'
