Words by Kevin Howes (aka Sipreano)
Photography by Amanda Leigh Smith
February 2-8, 2017
February 2-8, 2017
On one’s first trip to the Yukon, there are many special
details that can make you fall under its spell. During Winter, it’s the crisp,
clear, cold, snap, and crackle of air, snow, and ice, a brisk contrast to the
open-armed warmth of its people: Indigenous, settler, immigrant, or passerby.
There is also the active city life of Whitehorse (Ta’an Kwäch’än and Kwanlin
Dün territories) as well as quiet, winding, rural routes which took us to the
traditional lands of the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in (later known as Dawson City) with
veteran Inuvialuit singer-songwriter Willie Thrasher and his singing partner
Linda Saddleback. Dubbed “The Spirit of
Skookum Jim” tour by Willie in honour of a trailblazing Tagish First Nation packer and prospector, Willie and Linda shared their musical gift along with storytelling, film, and
archival presentations from the Grammy-nominated Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966-1985 compilation. Once again, we were blessed to travel with photographer Amanda Leigh Smith, on hand to help document the proceedings (*see/hear more from this trip at Amanda's blog). Each of
us felt extremely honoured to experience a glimpse into the Yukon’s eclectic
reality.
After getting acclimatized in Whitehorse, we had a variety
of pre-scheduled media links to attend to. It was exciting to participate in a
series interviews at the CBC, Canada’s
national broadcaster, including a memorable segment translated into Inuktitut
by journalist Dodie Lennie for northern transmission. There was also an old school "drive home" show hype up at CHON FM (Northern Native Broadcasting Yukon) squeezed in between a double-shot of tunes by 1970s/80s rock icons Styx. We
were on hand to represent and promote Native North America: A Night of Music,
Storytelling, and Film at the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre and the annual Skookum Jim Friendship Centre Folklore
Show. At the CBC, we were also given the opportunity to dig through the remains
of their once extensive vinyl library, a glimpse into the musical past. Fueled
by a hearty meal at a busy Chinese restaurant, we were almost ready for our
evening at the Beringia, a museum and theatre not far from the downtown
core. The audience assembled there was diverse in age and background, which was
very nice to see. As with most Native North America related events, we began
with a screening of Willie Dunn’s 1968 National Film Board (NFB) short, The Ballad of Crowfoot, essential
viewing for anyone who wants to know the truth about colonization from an
Indigenous perspective.
Crowfoot was followed by a recent work from 2016, The Recording of Willie Thrasher,
a 30-minute biographical documentary on Willie by director Adam O. Thomas and
producer Am Johal via Simon Fraser University’s Vancity Office of Community
Engagement. Still, the main attraction was yet to come, a live performance from
Willie and Linda that featured even more stories and songs. Culminating in a lively
call-and-response chant from all in attendance, the energy was flowing from
everywhere in the room. In the theatre lobby, Willie and Linda connected with friends
old and new and signed autographs on albums and t-shirts.
The next morning, we were able to catch the start of the
legendary annual Yukon Quest, a 1,000-mile dog sled race which brought hundreds
of people from around the world to Whitehorse. Willie and Linda took plenty of
pictures for their friends and family back home. After a quick bite to eat we
were ready to head over to the Yukon Arts Centre for
the evening’s gathering. The annual Folklore variety show has been going on
since 1973, a celebration of First Nations talent, both locally and beyond. The
evening, hosted by Grandma Susie (Sharon Shorty) and Cache Creek Charlie (Duane
Ghastant’ Aucoin), was comprised of a fashion show, Keish Elder and youth
recognition awards, Dené hand games, and live music from Kiera-Dawn Kolson, Ed
Peekeekoot, the Women of Wisdom Drummers, and a finale from Willie and Linda. The
stage was decorated with a vintage t-shirt teepee made by designer Nic
Netro-Hendrie, an impressive backdrop to the action. As an outsider, I was tremendously
humbled to take a supportive part in this special event and it was great to connect
with residential school survivor Larry Smarch who told me about his powerful story
of activism and awareness raising. Early to arrive, our crew was the last to
leave. On the road and feeling alive, we were already thinking about our next event.
In the morning, we picked up a rental car, some food, and
hit the Klondike Highway to Dawson City, a seven-hour adventure through the
breadth of nature’s beauty. There were mountains, hills, lakes, and rivers to
the left and to the right for as far as the eye could see. The Winter roads
were open and drivable, but we had to proceed with caution through the snow, ice,
and bright sun. Stopping for gas in the village of Carmacks we joked about
finding Willie’s missing finger, which he lost nearby, fighting fires in the
early 1970s. After another scenic stop in Pelly Crossing, we made it to Dawson
and checked in at the historical Downtown Hotel. For those who haven’t been
lucky enough to visit, Dawson City is a heritage town that has preserved
elements of its Gold Rush history, a time warp indeed. A regional Indigenous presence
and perspective both past and present can be felt at the Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre. The Centre sits next to the
Yukon River, south of the adjacent Moosehide community, and would be home for
our next two gatherings.
On our first evening, we hosted a screening of The Recording
of Willie Thrasher followed by a question and answer with Willie, Linda, and
myself. It was great to connect with the locals, share our experiences in music,
and learn a bit more about the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in (that translates into English
as “People of the River”) First Nation. The next morning, we returned to Dänojà
Zho and presented a workshop for Robert Service School’s Secondary students. We
started with The Ballad of Crowfoot, which rolled into an amazing storytelling
session from Willie about a young Inuvialuit hunter trying to feed his family.
With a handful of aspiring musicians in the room, a short set of songs by
Willie and Linda rounded out the morning. Once again, this ended in chanting
and clapping from all in attendance. We later connected with teacher Peter
Menzies at the one room CFYT radio station, a terrific
resource and outlet for the area.
Next, we walked over to the Art & Margaret Fry
Recreation Centre concession for a lovely lunch. With fresh juices and
home-cooked food on the rotating menu, it was a far cry from standard deep
fried hockey rink fare and just what we needed. Despite the frigid weather, we
cherished the afternoon off to explore the city and take photographs of the
land, buildings, and even a crew of horses discovered on the edge of town. The
evening’s concert was hosted at the Klondike Institute of Arts and Culture
(KIAC) and once again it was incredible to see people
responding to Willie and Linda’s music and stories from the road. One gentleman
even brought an original copy of Spirit Child to sign, an album gifted to his sister by Willie in Northern
Ontario back in the day. It was mind blowing to witness this heartwarming
example of how music, feeling, and positive energy can travel throughout the
years. It felt good, but a little sad to think that our short Yukon tour was now
over.
We headed over to the Westminster Tavern and Lounge for a celebratory drink and disco dance at the Pit, which was filmed by Willie on his phone to much laughter. It was also cool to see some photos of Willie Gordon at the bar, a celebrated local musician and old friend of Thrasher's from Aklavik who passed away in 2012. Stepping out into the cold, clean air, we cast our gaze to the sky in search of the magical Aurora Borealis, but to no avail. Hidden on previous trips with Willie and Linda across the Northwest Territories, the elusive lights had escaped us on yet another northern journey. We will clearly have to return.
We headed over to the Westminster Tavern and Lounge for a celebratory drink and disco dance at the Pit, which was filmed by Willie on his phone to much laughter. It was also cool to see some photos of Willie Gordon at the bar, a celebrated local musician and old friend of Thrasher's from Aklavik who passed away in 2012. Stepping out into the cold, clean air, we cast our gaze to the sky in search of the magical Aurora Borealis, but to no avail. Hidden on previous trips with Willie and Linda across the Northwest Territories, the elusive lights had escaped us on yet another northern journey. We will clearly have to return.
Love and much appreciation to the Skookum Jim Friendship
Centre and the Klondike Institute of Arts and Culture for making these Native
North America events possible. And to all of the inspiring people that
we met along the way... Thanks for the support!
More information can be found at
http://lightintheattic.net/releases/1332-native-north-america-vol-1-aboriginal-folk-rock-and-country-1966-1985
PEACE
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