4 THE VOICE |

THURSDAY, OCT. 11, 2018

| EDITORCLOELOGAN

Indigenous storytelling connects generations

eon totem poles were set up alongside an-
cient artifacts at the Museum of Anthro-
pology and the usually quiet space echoed
with the sounds of hip-hop and spoken
word at an event spotlighting Indigenous artists.

Prominent Indigenous performers and writers
brought their stories to Trickster
and ‘Transformers: An Evening of
Indigenous Word.

The event was part of the Univer-
sity of British Columbia's inaugural
Artivism festival, which aimed to
spotlight artists who challenge the
mainstream through performance
and art.

Quinton Nyce of Snotty Nose
Rez Kids says he doesn't identify as
an artist activist. "We're Indigenous
artists, doing what our ancestors
have done for thousands of years."

Darren Metz, another member of the hip-hop

"

group does identify as an activist. "[We're]using our
voices for the greater good," he said.

The e vent, h eld o nu nceded M usqueam t erritory,
was hosted by Christie Charles, Vancouver's fifth poet
laureate and the first I ndigenous person to hold the
position. She performed Musqueam and English lan-
guage songs and poetry at the MOA, surrounded by

“We're Indigenous
artists, doing what
our ancestors have
done for thousands

an”
of years.
— QUINTON NYCE, SNOTTY NOSEREZ KIDS

her ancestors’ belongings.

“We're in this time where everybody’s so curious
about what First Nations people are doing, what sto-
ries we're telling, and what movements we're making,”
said Charles, who believes a space like the MOA leads
to greater understanding of First Nations storytelling.

“People can say, wow, these be-
longings, they’re thousands of years
old, yet these people are right in
front of me speaking the same lan-
guage and talking about the same
stories,” said Charles. Her ances-
tors, she said, are waking up to the
sounds of their language and peo-
ple. “It’s very magical.”

Author Eden Robinson was also
in attendance to launch her newest
novel. As a writer in Kitamaat Vil-
lage, she served as an inspiration to
a young Metz and Nyce. This is the first time they have
been featured at the same event.

“Eden started in literature and fiction novels, and we
get to tell our story on rap records,” said Nyce, Rob-
inson’s cousin. “I think it’s very important to bridge
those two art forms in a space like the Museum of
Anthropology.”

DJ Kookum provided a soundtrack of upbeat dance
music for the evening.

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Trickste

Hip-hop group Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Darren Metz (L) and Quinton Nyce (R), perform at

Hip-hop group Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Quinton Nyce (L) and Darren Metz (R), perform at
Evening of Indigenous Word at the University of British Columbia's Museum of Anthropo

MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY
SBY THE NUMBERS
Audience members gather at Tricksters & Transformers: An Evening of Indigenous Word at the University of British

Columbia's Museum of Anthropology.

The Museum was established in The
1949 on the UBC campus, and was
moved to its current location in

1976.

Stories and photos by Kate Gardiner

MOA houses almost 50,000 works

from across the world.