Celebration of Artists Through Annual Storytellers Festival

Indigenous artists featured their crafts during the Sâkêwêwak Storytellers Festival.

The festival ran from Feb. 23 through 28. Among the many events held during the week, the festival featured artists such as Kevin Wasequate, Zoey Pricelys Roy, and Brad Bellegarde in a Poetry Slam, a performance and exhibition from Peter Morin at the MacKenzie Art Gallery, and an Indigenous Writers’ Table Read with literary work from Bill Stevenson.

The weeklong gathering concluded with an opening reception at the Sâkêwêwak Art Gallery for “Indigenous Survivance,” featuring Julianne Beaudin-Herney, Hilary Ryder, Melanie Monique Rose, and Brian James.

Joining the festival from Winnipeg was comedian Ryan McMahon. His contributions included a storytelling workshop at the University of Regina Aboriginal Student Centre, and recorded an episode for his podcast “Indian & Cowboy: Stories from the Land,” with visual artist Kevin McKenzie and storyteller and professor Shauneen Pete, at the Artful Dodger Café and Music Emporium.

“There’s only a few festivals in Canada that have the history that Sâkêwêwak (Storytellers) has,” said McMahon. “To be invited back year after year… is a complete honour.”

In addition McMahon provided stand-up onstage at the Artful Dodger to open the

Indigenous Music Showcase, featuring local bands Kinder Scout and Snake Oil Salesmen.

McMahon was honoured to be continually invited to the annual festival, adding artists from different mediums are able to contribute not only to this festival but also to the collective as a whole.

“We all need to realize we’re a small part of the big circle, and that’s why they should come here. We should all be contributing to that bigger circle,” said McMahon.

The festival was also dedicated to the memory of the late Lacy Morin-Desjarlais who was active in the arts community and organizations including Sâkêwêwak, and along with Michele Sereda, who had an important role in last year’s Storytellers Festival production.

– Story and Photos by Jarrett Crowe