An Inspiration

Last night I attended the Gala Evening for the Aboriginal Writers & Storytellers Festival at the PG Playhouse. Performing were young Dakelh drummers, singers & dancers from nearby First Nations communities, Award-winning Haisla author Eden Robinson (who seems to be a joyful, friendly & vivacious person) and Juno-winner Yellowknife-based Dene singer Leela Gilday (note to self: purchase her album).

I was so encouraged to see the Dakelh youth taking up their traditional cultural songs and presenting them so powerfully & proudly. . . it brought back memories of gatherings with the elders & dancers when I was a child in Vanderhoof, the smoky smell of moose hide from the dancers' costumes wafting through the air and the dreamy rhythm of the elders' voices telling the tales of the wilderness passed down by their ancestors. We have an incredible cultural legacy in our midst.

I was very inspired by Leela Gilday's music - her song "One Drum" is very riveting & rousing. She had the whole audience clapping & swaying together, and it was pretty powerful.

What was the coolest moment of the evening was when she spoke about how inspired she is by Eden Robinson's writing (especially her book Monkey Beach) & has actually written a song based on the book for her forthcoming album because it inspired her so much. Wow! It may seem odd but I did not realize that singers find writers such sources of inspiration - it has always been the other way around for me - I find much inspiration in the notes of powerful song.

I purchased Eden Robinson's Blood Sports which is set in the east end of Vancouver. Inside the front cover, she wrote to me in her big scrawl handwriting, "may good spirits guide you." This woman exudes an incredible kind of warm & engaging energy. She really impressed me.

We discussed the situation of the ship running aground in the Kitimat inlet in the past several days. The Haisla people were the ones who questioned in the media what had happened when they observed the damaged ship crippling into port. The ship had run ashore. The Haisla people then sounded the alarm about Enbridge plans to put in the oil pipeline/ have oil tankers come into the Kitimat inlet for the first time ever. For some time they have been expressing grave concerns about oil spills in this pristine area, now this ship incident really lends weight to their argument.

Eden currently lives in Kitimaat Village. She tells me they now have a chief by the name of Delores Pollard who is a powerful leader. The Haisla people are a strong voice of opposition to the proposed oil pipeline project & associated oil tankers.

I came away from last evening feeling really inspired by these amazing & talented people and how awesome that we can all be inspirations for each other, and together, strive to create a more beautiful world.

We are not in this alone.