Manaadjia – An important step early in my journey
With a long classical singing career in hand, and the cabarets I had written and performed in previously, my shift as a creative to acknowledging my Métis ancestors is a pretty surprising one. For me especially. I had come to a time in my life where I no longer wished to divide my lived identity with my artistic identity. It was time to weave it together, and be the same person in my community, as in my work. This process continues to this day, but it all started with the nudging and the encouragement of Indigenous Elders that I met. I am beyond grateful to them for helping me see something in myself, I had never seen before.
The journey began with my supporting an Elder with his dream of an Ojibopera (as he called it) And before I knew it, he became my artistic co-conspirator. The opera never materialized, and instead we began sharing melody fragments, poems, dreams and songs.
As I dreamed the work I longed to make, the title arrived by email from Rene Meshake, an Anishinaabe Elder. He told me that what I recognized in my dreaming was a piece to be titled Manaadjia, an Anishinaabe word that means ‘to take care of our people for a long time’. With his encouragement I began seriously to explore this work in 2020. I was lucky to receive seed grants for the work in this early stage from the First People’s Cultural Council of British Columbia. They supported the first steps in creating a land-based writing and composition practice where I engaged with knowledge keepers and Elders to understand music from an Indigenous cultural perspective. My vision was to inspire the next generation of Métis and urban Indigenous who were culturally disconnected to create new songs and stories.
Manaadjia was in workshop in August of 2021, on Mayne Island with Johnny Aitken. I owe him so much and a debt of gratitude for our explorations.
My aria/drum song culminated in a short film- The Earth Sings, which shares the aria transformed into a traditional song, and is part of the digital offering ‘Mother’.
‘Mother’, a collective film project, was shared in October of 2021 at The Belfry with many of the artists in the house. My short film was also shared with other video elements and songs, as part of the ‘Weesageechak Begins to Dance Festival 34′ in November of 2021. My immense gratitude goes to my cousin, Lindsay Delaronde, for her mentorship and collaboration on this vision. You can view it here. https://youtu.be/wfvAzDgfNyw
In April 2023, Manaadjia received its first public performance at the Incoming Festival, which features new works and is hosted by Intrepid Theatre Victoria BC. Elements from this performance have continued to be developed through residencies/performances at the University of Victoria- Indigenous Cabaret, University of Manitoba and with Bard College- ReThinking Place Conference. What I learned through these public events is that my work was not only for Métis and urban Indigenous, but also those of mixed race and of mixed identities who were seeking to bring their whole selves into their walk in life. Manaadjia inspired people to explore their own identities and their connection to place, and in my personal story, I found the universal story of many.
Working on Manaadjia changed so much about my creative vision, and how I understood my purpose as a maker. The vision that came out of these experiences was to create out of a process based in relationship to land, and connecting to Mother Earth. It also was the first step towards having the courage to share the songs I was hearing in the land.
And this journey couldn’t even have begun without Rene Meshake. Since his passing in November of 2024, I continue to do my best to honour him and fulfill the vision he helped me see. I miss you every day, nisayenh.
Rene Meshake
An Ojibwe funky elder, visual and performing artist, award-winning author, storyteller, flute player, new media artist and a Recipient of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. He works to fuse Ojibwe and English words into his stories, poetry and spoken word performances, Rene communicates his Ojibwe spiritual heritage to the contemporary world. He was born in the railway town of Nakina in Northwestern Ontario and was raised by his Okomissan grandmother. His education includes: Anishinaabe oral tradition, language, arts and culture. Rene has a diploma in Graphic Design from Sheridan College and a certificate in Creative Writing from the Humber School for Writers. Rene’s body of artwork, stories and his flute improvisations create a strong, expressive, and entertaining presentation for an ever-increasing audience. He also has an active on-line and performing presence as a Funky-Elder and his ‘virtual’ band, The Firebolt Ensemble.