Corey Payette’s play is cultivating “seeds” of “hope” and “change” in NWT as it confronts the traumatic experiences of residential school Survivors.
Payette’s acclaimed musical Children of God is coming to the Northern Arts Cultural Centre in Yellowknife on April 5. Performed in English and Anishinaabemowin, the play deals with the history and intergenerational effects of Canada’s residential school system.
“(The play) really has the opportunity to change the perspectives of people engaged with a broader conversation about our shared history and our relationship to the people of the land,” Payette told True North FM.
The production is part of a conversation surrounding Reconciliation and Indigenous history that is already happening, explained Payette.
“What I hope is that people’s perspectives are opened and changed so that they can start to see these stories as being, what if that had been your brother, or your sister, or your parent, who had been taken away, how would that have impacted your life?”
From the 1830s to the 1990s over 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children across the country were taken from their families and sent to residential schools.
Those who attended the schools faced daily abuses, including extreme neglect, exposure to disease, malnutrition, physical, sexual and emotional abuse. They were denied the ability to learn or practice their cultures and traditions. Thousands of Indigenous children did not make it home.
Payette said he hopes the powerful storytelling and music of the play helps audiences to better understand Survivors and intergenerational Survivors beyond statistics they might come across in the news.
“I can think of no better way to share that story than with communities in the North. It’s been a dream of mine for many years to bring it to the North and I’m just so, so excited that it’s happening this Saturday,” said Payette.
The play began touring in 2017 and has been performed in theatres across the country to more than 50,000 people.
“The response has been profound,” said Payette.
“After every performance we have a facilitated conversation where we ask the audience to engage in a conversation as a community about what can we do to further efforts towards reconciliation. What have been some of my most proudest moments have been when Survivors or intergenerational Survivors get up and speak. Sometimes, they’ll share stories, they’ll share songs they’ll share prayers in their language.”
For Payette it’s about getting a chance to create that space where Survivors can be heard.
“It’s really how I believe you can change the world by having people’s hearts be opened through the power of storytelling and music,” said Payette.
When Payette began work on the story by meeting with Elders and Survivors in the community.
“I went through an enormous growth as a person and as an artist in telling the story and I think that was really the biggest obstacle initially was the story that I was wanting to tell was that going to resonate with audiences,” remembered Payette.
The playwright’s professional experience and background are rooted in musical theatre, something he has always had a passion for creating.
“I have always felt that when a musical works best is when its music is being used as a tool to express, emotions that are beyond words and so that felt very reflective of this storytelling about the children of the school not being able to use their own language, not being able to express their emotions and what better way to share that than through music, right?”
“In a musical, you can express those emotions in song that you understand, that this is not literally the way that the characters were behaving, but it opens up an inner part of the lives of these of these people that gets to explore a deeper aspect of their journey.”
Payette’s artistic direction has been guided by the knowledge passed from Elders in his community,
“What I’ve been taught from my elders is you cannot share a story without that song and without that song having a dance and without that dance telling a story. And so it is a circle and in many ways.”
Payette explained that the production team is working with the Indigenous Artists Collective in Yellowknife.
ATTI! Indigenous Artists Collective delivers culturally relevant arts programming, by and for Indigenous people in the communities across the NWT.
Payette said the collaboration with artists of the North is ongoing.
“It’s lovely to be able to have this musical contribute to that good work that’s already happening in the community,” said Payette.
Tanya Snow, who is the program coordinator with the Indigenous Artists Collective, told True North FM they are excited that Northern Arts Cultural Centre initiated the play’s premiere in NWT.
Snow said the play’s visit to Yellowknife is an opportunity for “amplifying” and “creating space” for Indigenous. It is a chance for Northern artists to connect and cultivate with artists from other parts of Turtle Island.
“There is a commonality amongst all the Indigenous folks across Canada who are learning to take what was done to them and to transform it into story, song, health, healing, power. And when Children of God productions like these come up North, they are very gently planting seeds and ideas for other people that can tell their story on the next stage in the future,” explained Snow.
“I’m excited and also prepared for the possible triggers because it is based on residential schools and it is a very heavy topic,” said Snow.
Snow explained that the play’s premiere in Yellowknife carries deep meanings for the Indigenous communities with roots here.
“The building that NACC sits on the Sir John Franklin High School is actually on the same property as a former residential school site,” explained Snow.
The residential school Akaitcho Hall opened in 1958 and was transferred to the Northwest Territories government in 1969 until it was closed in 1994.
“That history is still here. The people who have survived are still here, their children are here. It’s still a reality for hundreds of Indigenous folks who are rebuilding their lives, after residential schools, and what’s beautiful is that we are at a point where we can turn that pain into beauty into art into power,” said Snow.
Indigenous Artists Collective did a territory-wide survey with Indigenous artists across different regions including remote communities, to highlight the challenges, the barriers and the needs that they have to create art, Snow explained.
“There’s so much knowledge and wisdom out there in those Northern communities but there’s remote access. You know the cost of living is very high. Digital inequity is a huge issue for the smaller communities that don’t have the right infrastructure to be a part of our digital age,” Snow pointed out.
Snow revealed that up-and-coming Northern Indigenous theatre writers, future directors, musicians and Indigenous dancers are working on projects that will be showcased this August.
“There’s so much opportunity and need and desire to hear more Indigenous stories that comes directly from Indigenous folks. So really overall, we hope even though it’s a heavy topic, people focus on that resilience and that strength and that inspiration and to use arts as a medium to empower themselves to tell those stories.”
