There were tears and an impromptu opera performance at the unveiling of a sculpture depicting a settler woman and an Indigenous woman smiling and sharing a cup of tea.
Delphine Derickson, Westbank First Nation elder, and Heather Pawsey, of VancouverB次元官网网址 Astrolabe Musik Theatre, are the subjects of The Lake, a new music documentary about a friendship between two women and their cultural collaboration that saw them decolonize a Canadian opera by incorporating Syilx Okanagan perspectives.
The opera, the Lake, based on a 1953 opera by Canadian composer Barbara Pentland, had its world premiere in 2014 at Quails鈥 Gate.
The 1953 opera, which was never performed, featured a story about European settler Susan Allison, who lived with her husband John in a cabin on the property where the winery is now, seeing naxaxaitkw, the water spirit that has been given the nickname Ogopogo.
Pawsey worked with Westbank First Nation Coun. Jordan Coble and Delphine Derickson, WFN elder to co-create the opera and decolonize the work.
Pawsey connected with John Bolton from Opus59 Films to make a film about the opera and the relationship between the two women.
Derickson was excited to work together and create awareness.
鈥淲alk with me, thatB次元官网网址 how we you learn about me, letB次元官网网址 walk together,鈥 she said.
Derickson had expected a sculpture of naxaxaitkw.
鈥淥gopogo is only part of the story,鈥 said Corinne Derickson, DelphineB次元官网网址 daughter, who designed the sculpture, titled Walk With Me, made by Abby Marchand of Vernon.
The piece depicts relationships between strong women, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, from the past to the present and hopefully into the future, she said.
鈥淲e all need each other on this journey of life and to collaborate and this is really what the sculpture depicted,鈥 said Corinne. The sculpture spins on a 600 pound blue mosaic base, which represents Okanagan Lake.
For artist Marchand, having movement in the work represents continuing to move in the direction of unity.
A jeweled part behind the women represents naxaxaitkw,.
For Pawsey, the best part of working with Derickson was learning.
鈥淚鈥檓 just starting to know what I鈥檓 learning,鈥 said Pawsey. 鈥淚tB次元官网网址 just been a complete journey into this culture, these people, this history and this language. I鈥檝e been taught so much by my friends here an I continue to learn.鈥
Derickson laughed as she said the best part was the learning from Heather and how to sing opera.
Chef Kxansulaxw Derickson-Hall, DelphineB次元官网网址 grandson, worked with the Old Vines Restaurant staff to create Salmon Batter ball fry-bread and sweetened sxwusm, Indian icecream with mint, inspired by the syilx Nation and the Four Food Chiefs for guests to nibble on.
The Lake will screen tonight at the Landmark Xtreme Theatre. You can get free tickets at the theatre.
(Ticket information in the story has been updated and a couple of typos repaired.)
