Consequence
The concept of Consequence, to transform traditional Niitsitapii stories of Napi into a live multi-disciplinary Dance/Theatre production, is encouraged and supported by our Clans and our families. The Elders presented Napi as source material to be evolved into a multi-disciplinary “storytelling” performance.
The Elders suggested and challenged the idea of translating the stories of our Creator, Trickster, Hero – Napi, incorporating live performance and multiple visual imagery to bringing the landscape of Napi into the theatre
environment. In the creation and research stages collaborators and coordinators are invited to visit the Niitsitapii and the territory to appreciate the relationship between Napi, Essence, Self and Land/Sky and to experience why Napi remains a part of our daily Niitsitapii life. Even though Napi appears as coyote in many of our legends and stories, we understand shape-shifting abilities and recognize Napi in every part of our lives and woven throughout Creation.
Napi is in every person, reminding us daily that we are connected to Napi’s spiritual world, through an eternal spirit that gives us insight to how we deal with causal effects, in present and past time simultaneously, forever stepping forward together as a nation with the wisdom of the past.
Through Napi’s adventures the “world belief” of the Niitsitapii began and evolved as our system of honouring and giving thanks in perfect balance of reciprocity with creation; appreciating ALL the gifts given by our Creator. And understanding that the “first sin” is thinking negative of another being. Thus we are inherently and continuously orientated to keep happy thoughts and evolve to understand and appreciate the gifts that dwell inside, to share for a higher energy of existence – Love for all creation, and Respect for all life. Central to this is the acknowledgement of our gifts provided by the Creator personally and collectively.
The on-the-land ground research and on location creation sessions will begin the creative process in 2018. Our goal is to conduct performing art workshops with the collectives artistic collaborators and coordinators on locations in the Niitsitapii territory of southern Alberta. While in the territory on the ground and, our goals for this first creative exploration phase is to hear and capture Napi stories told by Elders in the original language and voice, incorporating songs, dances, visual arts and ceremony of the territory. The creative sessions conducted on-site will provide opportunity to visit locations accessible where Napi walked, shape shifted and assisted in creating the world for the Niitsitapii. The need to be in the traditional territory will support the collective of artists to connect with, explore and ultimately bring to creative expression the images, sounds and stories to render the energies of the Niitstapii in Napi’s environments. With honour and artistic development in choreography, imagery, projections and video, we will create with the essence of Napi’s world view, transforming our live performance into the world of Napi. The stories of Napi are of our traditional territory in which we still look for survival, spiritual knowledge and to continue land and water stewardship duties as instructed in a traditional way. We will translate our discoveries into our final performance format and dance the stories of, and for, the people.
This project has many elements of Professional Development for all participants involved in the creative sessions, the research, and imagery capture as well as those involved in our studio theatre residencies including the site specific creation sessions in traditional Niitsitapii territory.
Circadia Indigena‘s overall goal: to create new compositions and choreography using multi-layered projection mapping programs with new light designs and costumes, live musicians with performers and perhaps even horses and riders as part of a multi-dimensional performance.
We will be bringing the creative residencies to the Shenkman Arts Centre located in the Ottawa region and as part of Native Earth Performing Art’s Weesageechak Festival in Toronto.