September 16, 2010

Goderich, ONTARIO – Ben Lobb, MP for Huron-Bruce today announced funding for 3rd Annual Celebration of First Nations in Huron County.  The Heritage and Culture Partnership will receive funding from the Government of Canada through the Building Communities through Arts and Heritage.

 “Our Government is proud to support the Heritage and Culture Partnership,” said MP Lobb. “The activities are one of the ways in which communities come together by celebrating events to which we can all relate and that touch our lives.   Our Government is helping to build stronger communities across Canada.  These events also provide a boost to our local businesses and help support our local artists and artisans.”

“We are very pleased to receive this funding. Celebration of First Nations has become such a popular annual community event and this funding allows us to continue delivering programming that brings the best Canadian Aboriginal artists to Huron County” says Rick Sickinger, Coordinator of Heritage and Culture Partnership.

The Heritage and Culture Partnership will receive funding of $5,100 for the 3rd annual edition of the Celebration of First Nations in Huron County in Huron County, Ontario.  The celebration will run from October 2 to 3, 2010 at the Blyth Festival, Goderich Library and Bayfield Town Hall. Festival activities include an author reading; a music concert by 2010 Juno Award winners, Digging Roots with special opening guest Gerry “The Big Bear” Barrett, one of Canada’s best known Aboriginal comedians who originally hails from Saugeen First Nation.  The event also includes two screenings of the National Film Board of Canada’s acclaimed film “Reel Injun”. The film will be introduced by director, Neil Diamond at both screenings.

The Government of Canada created the Building Communities through Arts and Heritage program in September 2007. This program provides Canadians with more opportunities to take part in local activities that present arts and culture and celebrate local history and heritage. This program will benefit many community events and celebrations throughout Canada this year.

For more information on the Celebration please visit The Celebration of First Nations event page on Facebook.



EVENT OUTLINE
Celebration of First Nations

Celebration of First Nations taking place October 2 & 3, 2010

The third annual Celebration of First Nations event will be taking place in Bayfield, Blyth and Goderich on October 2 and 3, 2010. This popular community arts event explores Canada’s Indigenous culture by bringing some of the country’s premier Aboriginal artists to Huron County to present their work. Event organizers are very pleased to once again be offering a full roster of outstanding artists and performers over the two-day event.   


Event Details

Author Reading

This year’s event begins on Saturday, October 2 with an author reading at the Goderich Library. First Nations graphic novelist David Alexander Robertson uses his graphic novels to engage and educate youth about Canadian Aboriginal history.  His literary debut was in 2008 with his novel, The Life of Helen Betty Osborne.  Currently, he is working on 7 Generations, a graphic novel series about Native Canadian history.

Robertson will be talking about his work at the Goderich Library, 52 Montreal Street; Goderich on Saturday, October 2nd from 1-2 pm. Admission is free.


Film

Join director Neil Diamond at two special screenings of his acclaimed film Reel Injun. Mr. Diamond will be on hand at both screenings to introduce the film as well as answer any questions regarding the film from the audience.

Hollywood has made over 4000 films about Native people; over 100 years of movies defining how Indians are seen by the world. Reel Injun takes an entertaining and insightful look at the Hollywood Indian, exploring the portrayal of North American Natives through the history of cinema.

Traveling through the heartland of America, Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond looks at how the myth of “the Injun” has influenced the world’s understanding – and misunderstanding – of Natives. With candid interviews with directors, writers, actors and activists, including Clint Eastwood, Jim Jarmusch, Robbie Robertson, Sacheen Littlefeather, John Trudell and Russell Means, clips from hundreds of classic and recent films, including Stagecoach, Little Big Man, The Outlaw Josey Wales, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Atanarjuat the Fast Runner, Reel Injun traces the evolution of cinema’s depiction of Native people from the silent film era to today.

The first screening is on Saturday, October 2 at the Huron County Museum, 110 North Street, Goderich. The second screening will take place on Sunday, October 3 at the Bayfield Town Hall, Clan Gregor Square, Bayfield. The screenings run from 3:00 to 5:00 PM each day and cost $10.00 or $7.00 for students. Tickets are available through the Blyth Festival Box Office.


Music and Comedy

The main event for the weekend is a special double bill on Saturday, October 2 that combines the best in the new wave of Aboriginal music along with one of Canada’s funniest comedians at the Blyth Festival

2010 Juno Award winners Digging Roots, are quickly emerging as new leaders of the old school of rebel music. From the first listen, the songs about culture, freedom, and identity are undeniably hard-hitting, hopeful and honest. The songwriting team combines the elements of their traditional Indigenous influences, hip-hop, folk, reggae, blues, and roots with an uncommon eclectic sensibility.

After a chance meeting while they were both still students, Digging Roots was formed in the spring of 2004. Since then Raven Kanatakta and ShoShona Kish have journeyed from coast to coast, playing hundreds of shows in bar rooms, festivals and concert halls.

The newest studio project "We Are" produced with innovator Kinne Starr was released in Canada to critical acclaim in Oct 2009. Digging Roots have cemented their reputation as a creative force, able to seduce audiences, sometimes with only the purr of Kish’s intimate voice or Kanatakta’s seismic acoustic guitar playing.  “We Are” was the winner of the 2010 Juno for Best Aboriginal Recording.

Digging Roots will be joined by special guest, comedian, Gerry “The Big Bear” Barrett

Gerry Barrett, a.k.a The Big Bear, is a broadcaster and one of Canada’s favorite Aboriginal stand-up comedians.  In 2004 he made television history by performing North America’s first all Aboriginal stand-up comedy special; CBC’s Welcome to Turtle Island.
His comedy credits include performances at The Laugh Factory in Hollywood in 2004, where he showcased for the NBC network.  He had his own television special on APTN called The Big Bear Comedy Show, and appearances on First Nations communities across Canada and the US. When he’s not on tour with his comedy Gerry "The Big Bear" Barrett is the Morning Host on Manitoba’s Aboriginal Radio Network, NCI-FM.

The show takes place at the Blyth Festival at 8:00 PM. Tickets are $25.00 per person, $20.00 for students and are available through the Blyth Festival Box Office at 519-523-9300. 

The Celebration of First Nations event is produced cooperatively between; Heritage and Culture Partnership, Huron County Library, Blyth Festival, The Village Bookshop and Huron County Historical Society with additional funding provided by The Department of Canadian Heritage, Capital Power Corporation and Bruce Power.