Policy and protocol in Indigenous theatre projects: Hul’q’umi’num’ voices, consensus and relationality

ABSTRACT

Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island, including what is known as Canada, have experienced the traumatic effects of colonisation that have deeply impacted the ability to share language and culture with younger generations. While funding and who it is from is an ongoing struggle for many arts-based practitioners, it is particularly problematic in offering ‘solutions’ for Indigenous communities in Canada with the ongoing colonial violence and injustice perpetuated by the government and funding institutions. In this article, a collective of Indigenous and non-Indigenous authors discuss decision-making processes, consensus-based policies, and document the ways performance creation assists these processes through protocol and policy.

KEYWORDS:

• Indigenous
• language reawakening
• policy
• protocol

Acknowledgements

We are deeply appreciative of the Hul’q’umi’num’ Language and Culture Society and Elders for their time and honest knowledge shared throughout our multi-year collaboration together. The evenings we shared on Zoom were only possible through giving up precious moments out of each member’s family and relaxation time, particularly during the challenges and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Leah Tidey

Leah Tidey (PhD, University of Victoria) is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Victoria in the School of Public Health and Social Policy. Her PhD research in applied theatre utilised community-based, intergenerational theatre to address sexual health across the life course.

‘een’tthu yelqwetse’. My name is Yelwetse’. Chris Alphonse tthu nu s-hwunitum’a’lh nu sne. Chris Alphonse is my English name. tun’ni’ tsun ‘utl’ kwa’mutsun. I am from Quamichan. yelqwetse’ tthunu s-hwulmuhwa’lh nu sne tun’ni’ ‘utl’ me’luxulh. Yelqwetse’ name originated from Malahat. Chris is a Hul’q’umi’num’ language learner at the University of Victoria.

‘een’thu xitsiliye’ Martina Joe tthunu s-hwumitum’a’lh sne, tun’ni’ tsun ‘utl’ kwa’mutsun. Hello my Indian name is xitsiliye’ and my given name is Martina and I come from Quamichan. Martina is a Hul’q’umi’num’ language learner at the University of Victoria.

Donna Modeste

Donna Modeste thu nu s-hwunitum’a’lh nu sne. My English name is Donna Modeste. qwuthqwithulwut thu nu s-hwulmuhw’a’lh nu sne. My traditional name is Qwuthqwithulwut. tun’ni tsun ‘utl’ xi’xnupsum’. I am from Porlier Pass, British Columbia. Donna is a Hul’q’umi’num’ language learner at the University of Victoria.

‘een’thu tsi’y’ulhaat s-hwunitum’a’lh sne Sharon Seymour, tun’ni tsun ‘utl’ kwa’mutsun. hwulmuhw tthunu shtun’allhtun. I am tsi’y’ulhaat, Sharon Seymour from Quamichan. I'm of Coast Salish heritage. Sharon is a Hul’q’umi’num’ language learner at the University of Victoria.

enthu p’e’ kweyulutstun, Thomas Jones tunu hwuni’tum ‘alh nu skwish ‘i’ tunni’ tsun ‘utl’ tl’eelthw, musteyuhw ‘utl’ Snuneymuxw. Thomas Jones is hereditary Chief Kweyulutstun. He is from Gabriola Island, which is a part of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. He is a PhD student in Theatre and Linguistics at the University of Victoria.

Kirsten Sadeghi-Yekta

Kirsten Sadeghi-Yekta (PhD, University of Manchester) is a faculty member at the University of Victoria. She is working on a SSHRC Partnership Development Grant and Insight Development Grant on Coast Salish language revitalisation through theatre. Her theatre facilitation includes working in the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver, Brazil, Cambodia and Nicaragua.