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Members of the Ktunaxa First Nation will be among the performers at the 2010 Winter Olympics during B.C. First Nations Day Feb. 19 at the Vancouver Games.
The performance was arranged through the First Nations Summit and the Four Host First Nations (FHFN) who chose the Ktunaxa to fill one of the four performance time slots on the First Nations Day.
St. Mary’s Band Chief Cheryl Casimer couldn’t be happier that the Ktunaxa were selected. “It truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity to show the World who the Ktunaxa are. This is an opportunity that we will likely never see again,” she said.
Casimer said the day will be an opportunity to showcase the rich diversity of First Nations in British Columbia on a global stage. “We felt that because the Ktunaxa are geographically and linguistically isolated from other BC First Nations, that we had a good chance of being selected,” she said. The St. Mary’s Band Chief initiated the application on behalf of the Ktunaxa.
“Now that the Ktunaxa have been selected, the next stage is even more intensive. We only have 25 minutes to share who the Ktunaxa are. That isn’t much time when you are talking about a culture that has existed over 10,000 years,” said Casimer.
The performances will take place on February 19 in one of the four time slots between 11: a.m. and 1: pm at the brand new 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion, which was designed specifically to showcase First Nations culture to the world. The $3.5 million construction project, supported by VANOC and the FHFN, features a high-tech 3,000 square-foot sphere, surrounded by a Coast Salish Longhouse. The inflated sphere is used to project images onto a screen and will allow the presenting First Nations to show images of who they are while they perform.
Located on the plaza of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in downtown Vancouver, within easy walking distance of BC Place and GM Place, the 8,000 square-foot 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion will be right in the heart of Olympic activity, with Vancouver’s Celebration Site located immediately across Cambie Street.
Ktunaxa Nation Chair Kathryn Teneese said approximately performers will sing, dance and do a narration “that will let people know who we are.” They only have 25 minutes on stage but they intend to make use of every minute, Teneese said. “Unfortunately, it’s a very small window, but it’s a window nevertheless.”
Teck Coal, who have been long time supporters of many Ktunaxa initiatives, once again stepped up and provided a huge financial boost to the Ktunaxa contingent with a donation of $10,000 that will go towards covering travel and accommodation for the group.
“You can’t say enough about the commitment that Teck Coal has shown our Nation once again,” said Teneese. “We would like to acknowledge the incredible work that Nic Milligan, Manager of Community and Government Affairs for Teck Coal has done to help us realize this opportunity. Now we can concentrate on creating the best performance we can.”
