We Are All Treaty People
Photo by Justina Gibson, featuring Elizabeth Ferguson-Breaker & Geneviève Paré.
Quest Theatre is excited to partner with The Confluence to offer public and school program performances of the play “We Are All Treaty People”, presented at The Confluence.
This play is being offered as part of an event series The Confluence is hosting to commemorate 150 years since the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) first arrived at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers and established Fort Calgary in 1875. In acknowledging broader perspectives on the arrival of the NWMP to the area, The Confluence will take a more reflective approach in sharing the stories that make the site so significant.
About the Play
“We Are All Treaty People,” follows the story of a Trickster who meets two young girls: one of Aboriginal descent, and one of colonial descent. As the girls question whether they can be friends, the Trickster recounts the story of Treaty 7, including the context of its signing, the promises made and broken, and the ongoing challenges we face today. While sensitive topics such as negative racial references, the whiskey trade, and residential schools are addressed, the narrative is conveyed through song, prayer, creative movement, and puppets, aiming to heal and foster understanding.
Video features the cast of the 2017 production of We Are All Treaty People and Co-Directors Nikki Loach and the late, great Troy Emery Twigg. Video produced by Joel Goundry with Roadwest Pictures.
Public Shows
Showtimes:
Friday, Oct. 10 at 6 pm
Saturday, Oct. 11 at 6:30 pm
Tuesday, Sept 30 at 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm & 6:30 pm
Location:
The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland
750 9 Avenue Southeast Calgary, AB
Cost: $10*
*On Sept. 30, all showings of the play will be offered for free as part of The Confluence’s Orange Shirt Day programming.
Ages: Recommended 10+
The Confluence is offering a special, free program for students in Grades 4-6 this October
School Program at The Confluence:
Photo by Justina Gibson, featuring Elizabeth Ferguson-Breaker, Anders Hunter, Garrett C. Smith, Alexandra Dawkins & Geneviève Paré.
For questions about this program, please contact programs@theconfluence.ca
Production History
A wildly successful theatrical production called Making Treaty 7, by MT7 Cultural Society, had its World Premiere in 2014 at the Chataqua Tent at Heritage Park in Calgary. Two years in the making, using over 30 artists from southern Alberta, most of them Indigenous, inspired a continued vision for the authentic, true and consultative stories of the Treaty 7 Nations. The implications for education were exciting. Quest Theatre was approached to support a re-imagining and age appropriate version of the piece for young audiences. After three years of development, the We Are All Treaty People program was created specifically for Elementary school ages.
We Are All Treaty People provides knowledge, historical information and a wealth of discoveries delivered by Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists through music, poetry and creative staging, that provide a context for young people to reflect on current and future relationships between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people everywhere.
Through this production, the memory and legacy of original Co-Director Troy Emery Twigg lives on, spreading his love of movement, storytelling, and community. May he rest in peace.
Original Production Team
Directed by Troy Emery Twigg and Nikki Loach
Production Design by Scott Reid
Additional Design by Adrian Stimson
Original Composition by Anders Hunter and Kris Demeanor
Sound Design by Nikki Loach
Sound Recordings by Infinite Loop (Dewi Wood)
Production Manager (for Original Production) Sam Hindle
Music Coaching – Kris Demeanor
Painter – Donna Mark
Builder – Riley at TechArt Custom Creations
We Are All Treaty People 2017
(As Featured in the Video Above)
Co-produced by Making Treaty 7 and Quest Theatre
Co-Directors Nikki Loach and Troy Emery Twigg
Performed by Garret C. Smith, Alanna Onespot, Jennica Grienke, Anders Hunter and Kris Demeanor
Production Design by Scott Reid and Adrian Stimson
Original Composition by Anders Hunter and Kris Demeanor
Stage Managed by Jennifer Stobart