"My people will sleep for one hundred years, but when they awake, it will be the artists who give them their spirit back."
Louis Riel
Metis Leader 1885
Louis Riel's prophecy is coming to pass! The Indigenous artists are The Awakeners!
That's certainly what you'll witness in this 6-part, 1 hour documentary series in both English and French (12 Eps in total) in which Canadian acclaimed, indigenous singer and song writer, Laura Vinson embarks on a journey to meet extraordinary Indigenous people with disabilities who are artists. Laura's sudden loss of her mentally challenged sister, Noreen, combined with her own challenges with an anxiety disorder, plus the progressive loss of her hearing cause her to have a great deal of empathy and respect for those Indigenous and disabled people who are often underappreciated and underestimated.
As Laura puts it, "When given the opportunity, Indigenous people are capable of accomplishing amazing things."
"I saw this strength and power, when I looked at my sister's artwork that she shared lovingly with me and the rest of our family. Similarly, I recall back when I was working with Indigenous youth in the inner city who had been emotionally, physically or sexually abused. When these young people were exposed to their traditional arts, like dance, dreamcatchers, or beading, they found they could do more than they thought was possible. In fact, they blossomed! And through the Series, I see and hear similar stories of how people have discovered art as an avenue of expression that is not a respecter of persons or limitations. Their art is an enriching experience for them as the creators and subsequently for those who receive their work and the transformative spirit that the art carries, and that is the honour and respect for the beauty of the culture of indigenous people."
As a performer who has a special love of art of all kinds, Laura will talk with these, creative people, as she learns about the spark that lit their imaginations and ignited the creative fire within them.
Episode 1
THE SEARCH BEGINS
In episode one, Laura Vinson shares her heart and her personal queries that lead her into a quest to find Indigenous Artists who have disabilities. As she sets out on her journey, she discovers Esther Auger, a young female artist with SOTOS, who paints, does embroidery and has a dream. She also bumps into an old friend from an inner city support agency, Lorrie Lawrence who is now the driving force of the Indigenous Artist Market, and begins to work on a plan to help Esther with her dream. Laura has her first ever exposure to a "Slam Poet" with Gabe Calderon, a dynamic twin-spirited Slam Poet.
Episode 2
THE DANCE & THE DREAM
In this episode, Laura meets up with Lyle and David Donald, a father and son who head up theEdmonton Metis Dancers. David is living his dream, teaching young people the traditional Metis Jig, and he's sharing his knowledge with people who have disabilities like Stacey who has Down Syndrome. Laura also launches her plan to help Esther make her dreams come true, by introducing her to a wonderful wise and caring Kokum (Grandmother), from the Artist Market, Donna Robillard.
Episode 6
"MEEGWITCH, HI HI!"
"Meegwitch" in Ojibway means "Creator", and "hi hi" is, "thank you". In this episode Laura begins to rejoice and is thankful in how fortunate she and all artists are to have their artistic gifts. She meets JR Bjornson, a blind and anxious stand-up guy, that is also, an up-and-coming stand-up comedian! She also visits the delipitating farm of a groundbreaking visual artist, Candace Lipischak, who brings a fresh application of the saying, "one man's trash is another man's treasure". Laura also has an opportunity to visit the museum of an Indigenous hero she's always wanted to know more about, Louis Riel. The season ends with a grand musical finale with a very thankful multicultural choir!