Every culture seeks to pass on its traditions to youth, ensuring knowledge lives on, but there are many ways to accomplish this. The Weaving Words Celebration – 'Ut'loo Noye Khunni – is about sharing knowledge and showing youth, and all those who wish to attend, some of the many ways this can be done.
Weaving Words began in 2005, making this the 19th event, except for the interruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and a few years in which continuity was broken.
“Because of the missed years and the placeholder events – sometimes we just had a few placeholder events during the pandemic, for example,” said Robert Budde, a UNBC creative writing instructor and one of the people behind Weaving Words. “As far as I can tell, it’s the 15th. It might be the 16th, but I couldn’t find enough years to establish that. So we’re safe saying 15th.”
“What I really like about the program is it’s not just written work,” says Elder Loretta Adams. “I really like that you worked hard to call out drummers and composers of our traditional and cultural songs and dances. It’s not just the written work.”
“All sorts of students and staff of the university, or other universities, write about First Nations topics,” says Elder Joan Sutherland. “And there are different cultures – the Cree, the Métis, the Dakelh people, people from all across Canada, actually. Probably from the U.S. a bit, but mostly in Canada. They write poetry and stories. I guess when people are writing, it’s their thoughts that come out – their thoughts about their culture, about who their families are, and where they come from. And, of course, all that comes into singing and dancing as part of everyone’s culture.”
Spoken word is not the only way knowledge and tradition are passed on. Budde explained how 'Ut'loo Noye Khunni – Weaving Words was conceived as weaving together the written word with oral storytelling. Paul Michel, the director of the UNBC First Nations Centre when it began, and a speaker at this year’s event, did his graduate thesis on orality. He was interested in Indigenous authors publishing books and the resurgence of storytelling on the page. But there is much more to storytelling than the printed word.
“Our clothing told a lot about us and our responsibilities,” says Adams. “Since we weren’t allowed to verbally say it, it was against the law. So somehow we had to bring it forward to today. I do clothing and design, so a lot of my stories, or the stories of other people, tell me what to depict in my sewing, on the clothing and traditional architecture.”
“So it is weaving words, and it’s because we are able to weave them successfully without anybody detecting what we’re actually doing. We’re able to say, ‘This is your blanket,’ and then start teaching what it says on it. When I do a presentation in schools, I take my button blanket along, because that’s what we brought forward into our world today. I read the different chapters of my button blanket to the class. But all they can see is just the design, the whole design. But there’s much more. It’s just a chapter. Once you do the back, then you turn to the front, and it’s never complete. It’s a living thing. It’s a living artifact. It’s a living story.”
Book readings by acclaimed Indigenous writers Cherie Dimaline and David Robertson, followed by a Q&A session, will be held. There will also be film screenings by Richard Van Camp and Sleydo Molly Wickham and Jennifer Wickham.
Whether it’s spoken word, written work, song, dance, or clothing, it all tells a story. 'Ut'loo Noye Khunni – Weaving Words will explore the many aspects of storytelling and the passing on of knowledge.
The event kicks off Wednesday, March 5, with the Festival of Welcome at 9 a.m. at UNBC. Closing ceremonies take place March 8 at Omenica Arts Centre. For more information and the schedule, visit www.weavingwords.ca.
