Season V

#501 ABORIGINAL VISUAL ARTS: Marianne Nicholson/Brian Jungen
Arts Reporter Michael Glendale interviews two young Aboriginal artists who are making names for themselves in the international art world – Marianne Nicholson and Brian Jungen. Marianne, a graduate of Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design and the University of Victoria, is learning the Kwak’wala language as part of her art training. Brian Jungen, who is also an Emily Carr alumni, has had major exhibits at the Vancouver Art Gallery and Tate Modern in London.

#502  WEAVING AND ROOTS MUSIC: Salish Weaving & Art Napoleon
A revival of traditional weaving is the focus of this episode. Arts Reporter Sandrea Sampson follows a group of Coast Salish women from Saanich as they learn to weave shawls that will be presented to elders at a community gathering. She interviews Iona Mischael and Rita Louis about this traditional art form. A second segment features a performance by Cree musician Art Napoleon.

#503  ABORIGINAL THEATRE: Dano Underwood & Marie Clements
Marie Clements and Dano Underwood are two Aboriginal actors who have multiple theatre and film projects in development and production. This episode looks at Dano’s involvement in the Stelly’s High School Theatre program, as well as his recent role in The Ecstasy of Rita Joe. Arts Reporter Lycrecia Behn Adin interviews Marie Clements, director of the experimental theatre collective, Urban Ink. Marie is profiled along with her school theatre program on Galiano Island.

#504  COWICHAN PLANTS: Della Rice Sylvester, Cherry Point Vineyards
The native plants of the Cowichan Valley are explored by Arts Reporter Amanda Henry. She visits herbalist Della Rice Sylvester who shows her how different plants are used for food and healing. Amanda also visits the Cherry Point Vineyard, owned by the Cowichan Tribes, and learns about their award winning blackberry port.

#505  ABORIGINAL DANCE: Children of the Rainbow, Spirit of Dance Symposium
Arts Reporter visits with Nadine Gagnon, director of Children of the Rainbow Singers and Drummers, a group of urban Aboriginal children in the Vancouver area. The children share songs from several nations at a concert in Vancouver’s east end. This episode also features traditional dance performances from the 3rd Annual National Aboriginal Dance Symposium held in Victoria in 2005, and an interview with symposium coordinator George Taylor.

#506  MAORI DANCERS: Rangeview School Dancers
A visit to British Columbia by a group of young Maori dancers from Rangeview School in Auckland, New Zealand is featured in this episode. The dancers, their teachers and Elders visit the Lauwel’new Tribal School in Brentwood Bay, and also share their culture at a public performance in Victoria.

#507  STORYTELLING & MUSIC: Greg Scofield/Aboriginal Day Celebration
Award winning Metis poet Gregory Scofield reads from his latest book of poetry, “Singing Home the Bones” which is the subject of a documentary of the same name by Victoria’s May Street Group. Arts Reporter Michael Glendale visits Aboriginal Day celebrations in Victoria.

#508 VICTORIA’S ABORIGINAL HISTORY
The human history of Victoria pre-dates the Hudson Bay Company post by several thousand years, and this episode explores the archeological and oral history of Aboriginal occupation in the region. Arts Reporter Michael Glendale visits several historic sites in the Victoria area with Songhees Elder Gregory Sam, learns about the revival of the Camus plant harvest with Cheryl Bryce, and discovers ancient village sites with Royal BC Museum archaelogist Grant Keddie.

#509 METIS FESTIVAL: Red River Rendezvous
Host Barbara Hager, who is of Metis and Cree ancestry, visits an annual Metis celebration on Vancouver Island. The Red River Rendezvous festival features a model buffalo camp, traditional Metis food, fiddle music, jigging and traditional competitions.

#510 ART MASTERS: Tony Hunt &  Butch Dick
Kwakwaka’wakw master carver Tony Hunt, and Coast Salish artist and teacher Butch Dick are featured on this episode. Both artists have spent most of their lives studying their nation’s art forms, teaching emerging artists, and creating monumental works of art.

#511 TRADITIONAL ART: John Marstan and Teddy Balangu
Two Aboriginal artists from different parts of the world – Teddy Balugu of Papau New Guinea and John Marstan of British Columbia – came together in 2006 with visits by both artists in the other’s country. John’s visit to PNG was recorded for the documentary, “Crocodile and Killer Whale,” produced by Gumboot Productions of Victoria. Teddy spent three months carving at UBC’s Museum of Anthropology in the summer of 2006.

#512 TRAVEL: Cape Mudge, Quadra Island
Host Barbara Hager visits Tsa Kwa Luten Lodge, a resort on Quadra Island that is owned by the Cape Mudge First Nation. Thomas Billy shows Barbara how salmon is bar-b-qued the traditional way. Also featured are two First Nations artists – George Martin and Mike Balatti -- who reconnected with their cultures and found healing through their carving.

#513 MUSIC AND CANOE: Mihirangi and Tseycum Canoe Tours
One of New Zealand’s up and coming folk and roots singers, Mihirangi, performs at Logan’s Pub in Victoria. The talented musician shares stories about her connection to Victoria history and the Haida Nation. Arts Reporter Michael Glendale takes a canoe journey in the “Salish Sea” with the Tseycum Canoe Tours’ cultural guides.