We Yah Hani Nah Coastal First Nations Dance Festival, photo courtesy of Dancers of Damelahamid (Vancouver, BC)
Aboriginal culture came alive last weekend at the We Yah Hani Nah Coastal First Nations Dance Festival. MOA (The Museum of Anthropology) at UBC (University of British Columbia) hosted the second annual First Nations cultural festival as part of the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad.
I watched the opening gala performance on Thursday evening of “The Visitors Who Never Left” with wonder. This stunning piece is a creation of the Dancers of Damelahamid, telling the story of their Gitksan origins (present day Hazelton, BC).
It was created by Margaret Grenier, Artistic Director of the group, to honour her parent’s legacy of this festival. Irene and Ken Harris began the We Yah Hani Nah Coastal First Nations Dance Festival in Prince Rupert in the 1960s, the organization of which was transferred to the younger generation and resumed in Vancouver last year.
We Yah Hani Nah Coastal First Nations Dance Festival, photo courtesy of Dancers of Damelahamid (Vancouver, BC)
The rest of the weekend was filled with some wonderful performances by First Nations dance groups from all over the west coast. I had the pleasure of seeing the Musqueam Warriors, Dancers of Damelahamid, Git Hoan Dancers, Children of Takaya, First Peoples Performance and Kuteeyaa Dancers.
The First Peoples Performance from the Yukon was definitely the most represented in terms of numbers. Their call and answer entry was a spectacular display of colourful regalia, powerful voices and much joy.
One of the members of this group spoke movingly of how, “Our elders are right beside their grandchildren again” and that he was proud to “Just be who we are.”
The whole dance festival was filled with these tender moments of gratitude, thankfulness and appreciation for how far the First Nations people have come. Because the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad has made the festival possible, I only hope it can continue next year.
Lori Henry is a freelance Travel, Health and Hockey writer based in Vancouver, Canada.
