Lelala Dance Society

[Voyageur]

Today had the opportunity to attend a gathering of different tribes, but primarily from the Ktunaxa. Here is a very old photo of their original site in BC near Cranbrook with the churches edifice ever present; which then grew to St. Eugene Mission proper where this tribe underwent life and generational changes as discussed in general in this thread below about Genocide in Canada:

http://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?action=post;topic=5497.30;last_msg=100624

St. Eugene Mission:


Today's gathering however was special, with song, dance and healing interaction time for many. Featured today was a dance group from Vancouver Island and the speaker talked about their long history of thousands of peoples lining coastal waters, different tribes, yet interconnected. He talked of the decline of peoples after the Indian Act came, the small pox sickness and their inner rites going underground, such as the potlatche ceremonies - This went on for close to a century until there was a reckoning, of sorts. Also told today were a few rich stories about characters of myths which in their own way were part of the Work for people to contemplate.

The following is a brief description about the Dance group within the Kwakwaka’wakw Nations peoples called the Le-La-La Dancers who have travel throughout the world at invitation. Have added a short quote from their website, a video link, and some pictures taken today.

http://lelaladancers.com/

The Le-La-La Dancers are a traditional Kwakwaka’wakw dance company who present First Nations culture of Northern Vancouver Island, located in British Columbia, Canada. The group has shared their culture by entertaining and educating throughout the world for over 25 years under the direction of George Me’las Taylor.

Our history….
The history, traditions and customs of our Kwakwaka’wakw Nations peoples’ goes back thousands of years. Ceremonial potlatches are held by family chiefs as a means to display and show ownership of their cultural wealth through song, dance and feasting. The family rights to perform these ceremonial dances and songs are passed down from generation to generation among many witnesses. The members of our company come from families with
chiefly traditions and have inherited rights to perform the sacred dances of their ancestors.

Video Link: http://lelaladancers.com/video/

The performance was based on the Spirit of the Mask, which featured segments of Life, Death & Transformation told through masks of animals and spirit beings.

 

[loreta]

This is very interesting. What is sad, under my humble point of vue, is that these native cultures are now folklore and something for tourism. Nowadays, it is beautiful to look at their masks, and their art. I hope their true essence is still there.

 

[shellycheval]

Wow--powerful and beautiful images that speak to me of the many ways to interpret knowledge of this world.
Thank you.

 

[Voyageur]

This is very interesting. What is sad, under my humble point of vue, is that these native cultures are now folklore and something for tourism. Nowadays, it is beautiful to look at their masks, and their art. I hope their true essence is still there.

For outsiders, it may seem that way, yet for many their culture is still embedded in their hearts and souls – and they have had a rough ride indeed. If things go completely south, they are people who could perhaps best adjust back to their traditional ways, more so then we in the west could do, considering we don’t know what our ancestral roots really are. In that respect, not all, but many still have their true ancestral essence, it is just hidden away waiting to renew, or so it seems.

Wow--powerful and beautiful images that speak to me of the many ways to interpret knowledge of this world.
Thank you.

You’re welcome.

As best that can be remembered, this is one story told:


The drummer speaker tells a story of an outcast child, sitting alone whittling wood. All the people and other children ignored him on account of a deformity. There is also an evil presence living in the mountain that comes down once in awhile and takes children, carrying them off in her weaved basket. On this day she comes down and being all alone the outcast is scooped up into the basket and then the presence takes other children, doing the same and climbs back into the mountain cave. The boy with the deformity decides he needs to help the others and using his whittling knife, cuts a hole in the bottom of the basked and falls to the ground, then pulls the others free. He says to them, “I know the way off the mountain” and leads them back to the village. There is great pain from the villagers from the loss of their children and also a shrill of anguish from the mountain as the evil presence realizes the children have escaped. The boy then leads the children back to their parents and he is welcomed as a hero to their people and they are shamed also by their past actions, vowing never to disregard another.

 

[SeekinTruth]

That's a great story, voyageur. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[Redrock12]

That's a great story, voyageur. Thanks for sharing it.

Indeed. Very moving.