Feature stories

BC Aboriginal Day

The rich history of the Aboriginal peoples of British Columbia is highlighted today at the 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion. Enjoy and learn about the many Aboriginal cultures in the province through unique songs, dance and storytelling. The Semoya, Design, Art and Cultural group from the Stó:lô Nation of the Fraser Valley takes centre stage for two shows at 11:00am and 12:00pm. The performances feature live spoken stories of Stó:lō culture through elaborate songs, dance and presentations. Transformation and creation stories are brought to life by youth, adults and elders in traditional Stó:lō regalia and song.

Fleet feet are required to perform the fast footwork in traditional Métis step dancing. Audience members will have a chance to test their foot-speed for the 1:00pm show when the Metis dance troupe the Butter Town Jiggers present an interactive workshop on step-dancing. Though similar to the Irish step-dance, The Métis step-dance relies on fiddle music with a sound and style with a strong aboriginal influence. This fiddle and dance tradition has been called the foundation of the musical culture of the Métis.

The 2:00pm set belongs to a thoroughly accomplished musician. Helen Duguay has spent the last 40 plus years navigating many genres of music from rockabilly, to be-bop, to rock and country. As a member of Les Beatlettes, she opened for the Dave Clark Five at the Montreal Forum. Lately she has returned to the root of many musical styles, the Blues, weaving her musical magic with incredible passion and soul.

Every evening starting at 3:30pm and running every half hour until 7:30pm, the Four Host First Nations is proud to present We Are Here at the Aboriginal Pavilion, a spectacular 360 degree multimedia experience featuring the driving beats, vivid sights and compelling stories of Aboriginal culture across Canada.

The nightly performance series features Children of Takaya, Garry Oker and Asani for a show entitled "With One Voice." The Children of Takaya is a drum group first started by the late Chief Dan George in the 1950s. They perform the traditional dances and songs of the Tsleil-Waututh people — telling the stories of their vibrant Coast Salish heritage. First Nations artist, consultant and musician Garry Oker is a member and past chief of the Doig River First Nation near Fort St. John, BC. Oker is producer and performer on "Spirit Dreamers", a CD celebrating the Dane-zaa Dreamers songs interpreted for the modern day. Edmonton based a capella trio Asani presents captivating harmonies blending First Nations and Métis music infused with the sounds of jazz, folk and blues. Whether sung in English or Woodland Cree, their music tells of the journeys of their ancestors to present day issues facing Aboriginal people in Canada. Their name is taken from the Cree word "asiniy", which means "rock."

Aboriginal Artisan Village and Business Showcase

They are named for a Hudson Bay Company employee named James Isham who came to Manitoba, married an Aboriginal woman and eventually settled there. The Asham Stompers carry on the legacy of the Red River Jig and honour their Métis ancestry when they take to the Aboriginal Artisan Village main stage at 11:00am for an hour of jigging and square dancing. Saskatchewan rap artist Def3 delivers hard hitting rhymes with strong social commentary for the second day in a row at 3:00pm on the main stage. At 6:00pm Inuit B-boy dance group Kaiva arrives from Nunavut to deliver a gravity defying act mixing hip hop with Inuit drum dancing, throat singing and break dancing.