Experience New Blood with Calgary Civic Symphony
New blood happened because Deanne Bertsch went on a tour 0f the pictographs at writing-on-stone provincial park where she learned that much of the indigenous history was lost because the Blackfoot people were put on reserves and not allowed back to writing-on-stone for 80 years. She was saddened by the experience and was determined to go back to Strathmore High School and create a performance about the Blackfoot history that is generally unknown. They started by inviting the Blackfoot language class to collaborate with them. Eulalia Running Rabbit, the Blackfoot teacher came in to talk to the class about the moments in history that changed the way of life for the Blackfoot people. She talked about the fur trade, smallpox, reservations, residential schools, addiction, and healing. She also talked about the vision quest, a coming-of-age ritual when a young Blackfoot man goes out onto the land for four days and four nights and waits for his spirit animal.
Based on that conversation the class created spirit dancers using prairie animals. They tried to integrate all the stories into the developing show. One of the Blackfoot students, Hayden Yellow Old Woman gave Deanne a telephone number, and said “call my grandpa”, which she did. At that time Vincent Yellow Old Woman was chief of the Siksika Nation. He sat down with Deanne for two hours and talked about his life, going through residential school, dealing with alcoholism and finding healing and hope. He also gave Deanne a poem by Sandra Sutter and Jim Pearce, called “The Indian In The Child”. Sandra initiated the poem after she was asked by Chief Vincent to write the history of his life. The show was ultimately based on the poem which reflects the lives of many indigenous people who went through residential schools. The show is told through dance, music, art and poetry including the poem “Words To A Grandchild” by Chief Dan George.
New Blood was created in 2014 and since then has been performed over 150 times, touring all over Alberta and British Columbia featuring ten different casts of performers. Some of the most memorable trips were to Victoria, and to the Blood Reserve.
Learn more and get your tickets today at artscommons.ca.
