The Museum of Anthropology is famous for its close work with First Nations groups all over the area, so it comes as no surprise that the annual Coastal First Nations Dance Festival will be hosted at the museum.
On March 3-8, the Coastal First Nations Dance Festival is back at MOA, celebrating Nations from British Columbia, Washington State, the Yukon and Alaska. The festival makes an effort to incorporate international groups, and this year they have brought groups from New Zealand, Australia, Ecuador, Peru and Arizona.
The highlight events for the public take place on the Friday and Saturday. Seated and ticketed performances begin at 7:30 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday evening, with the Great Hall area transformed into a stage for the performances. Doors open at 7 p.m.
During the afternoon of the Saturday and Sunday, there are more casual afternoon events and performances, free with MOA admission.
The festival as it's known today began in 2008, headed by Margaret Grenier, the executive and artistic director for the Dancers of Damelahamid.
“The predecessor of the festival was one that happened in Prince Rupert for about 30 years, under the leadership of my parents,” said Grenier.
The festival in Prince Rupert (titled Haw yah hawni nah) marked a critical point in the celebration of First Nations arts and culture. “It was instrumental to the revitalization of aboriginal dance,” said Grenier.
Nigel Grenier, Grenier’s son, is a fourth-year UBC student and a dancer with the Dancers of Damelahamid.
“In my grandparents’ generation, there was a lot of work that they did to make sure that our traditions, our dancing, our art and our culture were able to be passed forward,” he said.
The festival is doing more than putting on performances for the public, however. During the week, there are workshops for elementary and high schools in Vancouver. “One of the things we try to do a lot is work with education,” said Nigel Grenier. “We just give them a bit of exposure to the arts and cultures that there are to present.”
“Another aspect of the festival that we’re beginning to grow is the professional development for Indigenous artists,” said Grenier. There is a workshop on Saturday, March 7 for budding artists to learn about what resources are available to them in this field of art.
On Tuesday, March 3, there is an artist talk on song revitalization with Terri-Lynn William-Davidson, a renowned Haida musician. This event is free with MOA admission.
This festival is quite unique in terms of bringing First Nations cultural celebration to urban centres. “It’s the only festival of this nature that’s presented in the Greater Vancouver Area,” said Grenier.
“It’s a really amazing opportunity to witness some things that a lot of people probably haven’t seen before in terms of cultural sharing from all sorts of different First Nations cultures,” said Nigel Grenier. “And that’s something that’s a really amazing and beautiful thing to watch.”
Tickets for Friday and Saturday evenings are $20 for UBC Students, seniors and MOA members, $25 general admission.