2009 We yah hani nah Festival Program

School Programs
Tuesday March 10 and Wednesday March 11
To register: e-mail bookings@moa.ubc.ca 604-822-3825

Opening Gala & Premiere of "Visitors Who Never Left"
Thursday March 12, 8 PM (Doors open at 7PM)
Musqueam Warriors – Musqueam
Git Hoan - Tsimshian
Dancers of Damelahamid - Gitksan

Dancer Welcome
Friday March 13 (dancers only) 5-10 PM

Festival Stage
Saturday March 14, 12-4 PM

Sunday March 15, 12-4 PM

All performances are at the UBC MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY
click here for directions

The Dancers of Damelahamid

The Dancers of Damelahamid are a traditional Gitksan dance group originally from the Skeena River in Northwestern, B.C. They present masked dances, stories, and songs belonging to Simoiget Hagbegwatku, the highest ranking chief of the Dakhumhast House. Their songs and dances depict their people’s origins, and tell stories of how their societies grew and flourished. These songs are used to welcome guests and villagers to a feast and reenact important events in their history.

Chief Ken Harris & Elder Margaret Harris were instrumental in reviving First Nations culture of the Northwest coast during the 1960's-1980's in Prince Rupert, BC. For twenty years they hosted the annual "Yaw Hawni naw" festival at Fishermans Hall in Prince Rupert. They also taught the rich cultural heritage belonging to the Dakhumhast House to their children, grandchildren, nieces & nephews. It is this next generation of the Dakhumhast that has carried on in the footsteps of their elders and established the "We yah hani nah Coastal First Nations Dance Festival" in Vancouver.

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Musqueam Warriors - Musqueam

Git Hoan - Tsimshian

Git Hoan was founded in 1996 by David Boxley, Alaskan Tsimshian Artist and Culture bearer. The group is comprised of family and close friends from the Tsimshian, Tlingit, and Haida nations. The songs and dances are presented with an energetic and proud style that, while different than most contemporary dance groups, is based on ancient traditions that belongs to all coastal tribes.

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Chinook Song Catchers - Squamish/Nisga'a

The Chinook SongCatchers are an authentic Aboriginal dance group that descends from the Squamish and Nisga’a nations. This dynamic dance group has been representing their heritage at major venues in Vancouver for over fourteen years. Performing at multi-cultural festivals and art celebrations; and conducting welcoming ceremonies for international guests to Vancouver with a touch of Coast Salish hospitality.

The group is made up of Maurice and Delhia Nahanee, and their daughters Mandy and Marissa. Maurice is from the Squamish Nation and Delhia is Nisga’a from northern, BC. The Chinook SongCatchers has traveled to international events as ambassadors of our respected nations. We have traveled to Japan, Taiwan, Switzerland, Italy, and Turkey. It is our honour to be invited guests and represent our ancient history; we sing traditional songs of prayer, and celebration.

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Nisga'a Ts'amiks Dancers - Nisga'a

The name Ts’amiks means “lighting, light creator.” The Nisga”a people are from a large landmass situated in Northern BC The Nass River valley has been much in the news lately because of the modern day treaty. The Nisga’a Nation have lived from the there for thousands of years in for large clans, which are the Raven, the Eagle, the Wolf and the Killer Whale.

The Ts’amiks dancers are a large group made up of singers, dancers and drummers. They are the only Pacific Northwest nation that drums in four-part harmony, which makes their sound very distinct from other nations. The songs and dances they bring us are very old, having been handed down by mothers, fathers and elders and chiefs. Some of the stories are 3000 years old, but their spirited performances in traditional regalia and masks are proof of a tradition very much alive today.

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LE-LA-LA Dancers - Kwakwaka’wakw

The Le-La-La Dancers are a Victoria based First Nations Dance Troupe. The group have been together for over 20 years, under the artistic direction of George Taylor, and have traveled throughout the world sharing their culture. Le-La-La means “traveling from here to there” in Kwakwaka’wakw.

“Spirit of the Masks” dance presentation is a narrated demonstration of traditional songs and dances. Messages of respect and honour for each other, as well as towards our environment and all that live on Mother Earth are sent throughout the performance. The performers use carved cedar masks, headdresses, drums, rattles and button blankets to depict the ancient legends of animals and spirits within their culture. The variety of dances include the Bear, Raven, Whale, Thunderbird, the Transformation Echo, and the Chiefs Peace dance. All the dances and songs originate since time beyond recollection, from the Kwakwaka’wakw peoples ceremony called the Potlatch. The potlatch word means “to give” and it is the traditional way to express joy and mark important life occasions such as the naming of children, marriage, transferring rights and privileges and mourning the dead. It is a time of pride- a time for showing the masks and dances owned by the family giving the potlatch.

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First Peoples Performances - Tagish/Tlingit

First People's Performances began in May of 2007 and is based in Carcross, Yukon, a small northern community located fifty miles inland from the Alaskan coast. The group is comprised of many dancers who have been participating in their traditional singing and dancing since they were babies and small children. The group consists of members from the Carcross/Tagish First Nation, Teslin Tlingit Council, Kwanlin Dun First Nation and the Vuntut Gwitchen First Nation. First People’s Performances focuses on bringing their traditional stories into life through dramatization, song, dance, drumming, storytelling and multi-media. It is their vision to continue forward in developing their theatre company to draw the attention of audiences to their culture, their story and the issues that they feel are important to share in both historical and contemporary terms. The main focus of First People’s Performances is to bring opportunity of cultural revitalization and social transformation within our community by reclaiming our traditional values by singing the songs of our ancestors.

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Eagle Song Dancers

Spakwus Slolem, (translated,"Eagle Song Dancers), are members of the Squamish Nation. Geographically located in what is called the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Our traditional territory being the Howe Sound, Vancouver to Whistler area. The Squamish have lived and utilized this area for over 10,000 years, having history traced back to the Great Flood, and an Ice Age.

We are a Coastal people, people of the cedar longhouses, of the great sea-going canoes, the racing war canoes, People of the Salmon. Our colourful history speaks of things of legend, of deeds of certain members of the Smylaith Tribe (Sasquatch), legends of the Animal Kingdom(i.e., The Raven, Seagull and Sun), which brings out Teachings of our Squamish People, the History of Takaya, the Wolf Clan, one of our Squamish Family's History.

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Git Hayetsk Dancers

Git Hayetsk in Sm’algyax (Tsimshian, Nisga’a and Gitxsan language) means “people of the copper shield”. The copper shield is the most prestigious ceremonial object in Northwest Coast Native culture. It symbolizes wealth, power, prestige, strength and peace and could only be owned by the most high-ranking people. This is the standards of artistry to which the Git Hayetsk Dancers follow.

The Git Hayetsk Dancers are based out of Vancouver, British Columbia and have been performing as a group since 1999. The dancers are from many different nations, including Tsimshian, Nisga’a, Gitxsan, Haida, Tlingit and Haisla. This group takes pride in the fact that only traditional hand-made regalia, masks, skin and box drums are used to perform their ancient and contemporary songs and dances.

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Children of Takaya - Tsleil Waututh

Alaska Kuteeyaa Dancers

We are members of many tribes. Many are from Alaska - the Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, and the Aleut. Some are from Washington state. They are the Muckleshoot and Quileute tribes. We are children, mothers, fathers and grandparents. We are a multi-cultural and a multi-racial group. Some of the Kuteeyaa dancers are artists. Within our group are drum makers, carvers, weavers and beaders. We carve and paint paddles, and weave hats. We make a lot of our own regalia.

Members are multi-talented people who have spent much time learning traditional Alaskan native arts.Our dance steps mimic animals and ancient spirits, the words of our songs sung in the Tlingit language express welcome, love, respect and laughter. We talk about traditional social and family values and how these are reflected in our songs, dances, regalia and behavior. We aim to touch people's spirits through our songs and dance.

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