Lectures and Talks
Art Connects | Celebrating the Squamish and Haida through Stories and Songs
Mon Jun 21, 2021 | 4 PM
Vancouver Art Gallery
Elder Bob Baker, Courtesy of the Artist; Kung Jaadee, Photo: Mital Gorman, SquareWave Productions
with Bob Baker and Kung Jaadee
Monday, June 21 | 4 PM PST
June 21 marks National Indigenous Peoples Day, a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
Join us for this special online gathering with Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) cultural advisor and performer Elder Bob Baker (S7aplek Lanakila) and his niece, renowned X̱aayda (Haida) storyteller Kung Jaadee to learn more about their ancestors’ traditions, teachings and ways of living.
They will share the Squamish and Haida stories of the Great Flood and reflect on some of the teachings from their cultures that are especially relevant today during the global pandemic. Elder Bob Baker will then sing an original Squamish song, titled “Celebration of Life,” and Kung Jaadee will sing Haida artist Robert Davidson’s song, “Have a Light Heart on Your Journey.”
Also see Kung Jaadee on Art At Home on June 16 at 4 PM »
Questions? Submit them during the Zoom presentation using the Q&A function. You can also engage with your fellow attendees and panelists during the event using the Chat function.
New to Zoom? Learn how to register and attend a webinar here »
ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION
CART Services (Communication Access Realtime Translation) are available for Public Programs upon request. Please provide seven business days of advance notice prior to an event. We will make every effort to meet requests made outside of this window of time.
To place a request, please contact Stephanie Bokenfohr by email at sbokenfohr@vanartgallery.bc.ca
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Elder Bob Baker, whose Squamish ancestral name is ‘S7aplek’ and whose Hawaiian name is ‘Lanakila,’ is the co-founder and spokesperson for Spakwus Slolem (The Eagle Song Dancers), the most reputable dance group of the Squamish Nation. He is also a cultural worker for the Squamish Nation and works closely with West Vancouver schools to share his knowledge of Squamish history, traditions and canoe culture. Born Squamish with blood ties to the Musqueam, Baker has been sharing his culture through singing, dances and various cultural presentations around the world for the past thirty-five years. With Spakwus Slolem, he has performed at cultural events across Canada, Europe, the US, Japan and Taiwan. He has led welcoming ceremonies for many notable events, such as the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, Western Canada Summer games, Nation Aboriginal Hockey Championships and Canada Aboriginal Music Awards.
Kung Jaadee (Roberta Kennedy) is a professional storyteller, educator and published author belonging to the Haida, Musqueam and Squamish First Nations. Her Haida name, Kung Jaadee, means ‘Moon Woman’ and was presented to her at her great uncle’s memorial feast by her cousin Crystal Robinson. Over the past twenty-seven years, Kung Jaadee has performed traditional Haida legends, while also sharing vivid personal stories about her clan’s survival of the smallpox epidemic, and the history and culture of her people. She has performed at hundreds of festivals, schools and Aboriginal celebrations across Canada. She is the author of the popular children’s books, Raven’s Feast and Gifts from Raven (selected as a Local BC Book to Read), as well as several curriculum textbooks. Most recently, she worked as Vancouver Public Library’s 2021 Indigenous Storyteller in Residence.