Enjoy a diversity of Indigenous performances, workshops and artisans at the festival’s Broadview street closure
Riverside’s Annual Eats & Beats Streetfest is back – this year on Saturday, June 3rd and Sunday, June 4th alongside the Riverdale ArtWalk. Join us as the festival helps ‘Celebrate 150’ and Indigenous roots, with festivities spanning Riverside’s 10 vibrant blocks along Queen Street East from the DVP to Empire Avenue.
From 1pm to 6pm on Saturday, June 3rd, the Indigenous & Ingenious Show and Sale will be on location at Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest – MC’d by Suzanne Smoke. Take part in a variety of performances by Indigenous artists at the festival’s Broadview street closure, including drumming and traditional dancing, and Metis fiddling and jigging. Free workshops in between performances will teach traditional crafts such as the Medicine Wheel and Metis Finger-Weaving. Plus, get to know and support Indigenous artisans by browsing the 10+ artisan booths on Broadview. Here’s what’s in store from Indigenous & Ingenious on Broadview:
Performance & Workshop Schedule
1:00 – 1:20 Performance: Drumming & Traditional Dancing with Youth Drum, Suzanne Smoke & Cedar Smoke
1:20 – 2:00 Workshop: Medicine Wheel with Tammy Enosse
2:00 – 2:20 Performance: Metis Fiddling & Jigging Trio
2:20 – 3:00 Workshop: Braided Hide and Bead Bracelet with Theresa Burning
3:00 – 3:20 Performance: Drumming & Traditional Dancing with Youth Drum, Suzanne Smoke & Cedar Smoke
3:20 – 4:00 Workshop: Metis Finger-Weaving with Metis Fiddling & Jigging Trio
4:00 – 4:20 Performance: Metis Fiddling & Jigging Trio
5:00 – 5:20 Performance: Drumming & Traditional Dancing with Youth Drum, Suzanne Smoke & Cedar Smoke, including Round Dance, the dance of Friendship
Get to Know the Performers
Suzanne Smoke – MC, Singer & Dancer
“We are a magnificent people,” says Suzanne Smoke who will be the MC for Indigenous & Ingenious at Riverside Eats & Beats and will also be performing. She is a traditional dancer and also sings with a hand drum. She is a member of the Alderville First Nation, Mississaugas of Rice Lake.
Gifted in many areas, Suzanne has been a fashion designer, curator, chef, cultural and arts activist, and a land defender and water protector. Her most important role has been as a Life Giver and mother to Cedar, her 18 –year old daughter.
Suzanne played a major role at the Georgina Arts Centre & Gallery in Sutton as the Aboriginal Arts Coordinator. Under Suzanne’s leadership, the Biindigen Gallery grew from carrying the works of 5 to 6 Indigenous artists to housing the work of over 40 First Nations, Inuit and Metis artists. In 2015, she was the Indigenous Cultural Coordinator for the Host Nation, Mississaugas of New Credit for the 2015 PAN AM GAMES.
Currently, Suzanne is a consultant for several organizations including York Region Tourism, York Region Arts Council, Town of Georgina Cultural Planning committee and Town of Georgina Environmental committee. In the next couple of months, Suzanne has recently launched Biindigen Healing and Arts, a grassroots non-profit organization to serve the over 14,000 self identified Indigenous people in York region
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Cedar Smoke
Cedar Smoke is 18 years old, Wolf Clan and a member of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation and a proud member of the American Indian Movement. She is a Pow Wow dancer, Hoop Dancer, drummer and singer and has been raised her whole life attending ceremonies and teaching lodges with her Elders. Her Spirit Name is Ogima Geeziko Kwe meaning, “Headwoman of the Skyworld”. In the Creation story, it is said that Skywoman will come to the earth and purify the water. Cedar is a Waterkeeper and dances in the Gathering of Sacred Pipes Sundance. Cedar will be demonstrating a couple of traditional dance styles including Fancy Dance and Jingle Dance as well as leading everyone in attendance in a Round Dance, the dance of friendship.
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Drummers
The drum is a powerful instrument and Indigenous people throughout Turtle Island refer to it as the heartbeat of Mother Earth. It is usually at the centre of the circle whenever and wherever Indigenous people gather for social, spiritual and ceremonial events. The Youth Drum from Council Fire with lead singer Josh Smoke is composed of several young men from Toronto’s Indigenous community. They will be drumming at Indigenous & Ingenious on June 3rd.
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Metis Fiddling and Jigging Trio
Born and raised in Toronto, Alicia and Liam have never forgotten their Métis roots. Alicia on Metis fiddle, and Liam on guitar, have been performing together for several years at the local, national, and international level. They have performed at Pan Am Opening ceremonies, Louis Riel Day at Queen’s Park, and the Métis Heritage Days in Oshawa to name a few. Joanna Burt is a Métis/ Saugeen Ojibwe artist from Lindsay Ontario. She is both a Métis jigger and opera singer currently studying voice at the Glenn Gould School of Music of The Royal Conservatory. The three artists come together to create a dynamic performance on the unique art of Metis fiddling and Metis jigging.
Get to Know More About the Workshops
Medicine Wheel
The Medicine Wheel is an important symbol to Indigenous people and teaches the importance of appreciating and respecting the ongoing interconnectedness and interrelatedness of all things – the circle of life wherein the four races of people are all respected along with all manner of plant and animal life. The term “Medicine” as used by Indigenous people refers to spiritual energy and healing.
The Medicine Wheel workshop will be taught by Tammy Enosse, an Ojibway artisan and mother and member of the Toronto Indigenous community. Beads and deerhide will be used by participants to create a decorative item that they will complete during the 40-minute workshop.
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Braided Deerhide and Bead Bracelet
Deerhide has been used by Canada’s Indigenous people for clothing, footwear and to create adornments. Mohawk beadwork artist Theresa Burning will teach this workshop in which participants will create a bracelet braided in deerhide and adorned with beads. A skilled crafter who learned from the women in her family, Theresa is pleased to be able to carry on the tradition of making crafts.
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Métis Finger Weaving Workshop
This workshop will be taught by siblings Alicia and Liam Blore, and Joanna Burt. These three Indigenous artists/performers are a talented Indigenous trio. Alicia plays the fiddle, Liam plays guitar and Joanna is a Métis jigger and opera singer currently studying voice at the Glenn Gould School of Music of The Royal Conservatory. In this finger weaving workshop participants will learn basic finger weaving techniques to weave their own mini sash using yarn.
Meet the Artisans
Denise Aquash is a beadwork and textile artist from Walpole Island First Nation. She enjoys combining the traditional with unexpected contemporary imagery. What could be more contemporary than pop icon Marilyn Monroe? Denise is studying for a career in fashion.
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Leah Atkinson is the Toronto-based artist behind Taking Back the Dream. Anishinawbe with strong ties to her home community of Georgina Island First Nation, she began creating one of a kind dreamcatchers for friends and family. The demand grew beyond her circle to a broader market and she’s happy it did. Leah enjoys filling custom orders but also loves doing shows because it gives her an opportunity to engage with the public and share the teaching of the dreamcatcher.
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Theresa Burning, of Haudenosaunee and Anishinawbe descent, does beadwork to ensure the survival of a family and cultural tradition. Both her grandmother and her mother were beadwork artists. Her skillfully worked beaded barrettes, bracelets and dream catchers have made their way to many parts of the world.
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Tammy Enosse, beadwork and leatherwork artist has been inspired by different women in the Indigenous community, including her mother. A citizen of Wikwemikong Unceded Reserve, Tammy is Toronto-based. Even though she’s a mom to four boys ranging in age from 3 years to 15 years, and has a job working in the community, Tammy finds the time to do spectacular beadwork and leatherwork, creating her own designs.
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Graphic designer and artist Holly Fisher is Metis with roots in Saskatchewan. She’s been designing for 25 years and her talents are visible in the Indigenous & Ingenious 2016 posters, postcards and ads. Holly’s work in the show will be mixed media.
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The common themes in the art of Clayton Samuel King relate to his Indigenous cultural background. A multi-media artist who works predominantly with acrylic paint, he also works with other mediums like photography, sculpture, graphite, and traditional First Nations crafts. He is also well-known on the Pow Wow circuit as a Northern Traditional Pow Wow Dancer. Clayton’s work has been in five solo exhibitions and 23 group exhibitions. His knowledge and engaging personality make him an ideal resource for Simcoe County schools where he does cultural interpretive workshops to bridge an understanding of First Nations art and history to native and non- native students alike. A member of Beausoleil First Nation, Clayton is Potawatomi. www.whitebearart.com
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A 2015 graduate of OCAD University, Nancy King works under her Anishinawbe name, Chief Lady Bird. She has been exhibiting her work since she was fourteen years old and says she didn’t realize art was a career until someone introduced the idea to her when she was 10. She uses contemporary painting techniques, woodlands style imagery, photography, digital manipulation and traditional Indigenous craft materials to create her art. A freelance artist, she also works with the Toronto District School Board teaching art to students and collaborates on projects with other Indigenous artists in Toronto where she is based. She recently worked with a group of three other artists to create a 90-foot long mural called The Creator’s Game at Toronto’s Ravina Gardens. In a recent interview with Muskrat Magazine, Nancy said, “I strongly believe that art can and should be used as a catalyst for social change…”
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Barb Nahwegahbow is a jewellery artist, photojournalist and cultural activist. She has been designing jewellery for the past several years and her pieces are bold and unique with unexpected components. Semi-precious and precious gemstones are mixed with wood, nuts and seeds, or porcelain and felted accent pieces. She uses gold, silver, copper and brass as well as vintage finds from antique markets. www.bluedawnjewellery.com
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Skye Paul is a Toronto-based artist, mother and entrepreneur. Her beading, illustration and design reclaims cultural practice and she adds her pop sensibilities. Her influences are as diverse as her setsune Catherine (setsune means grandmother in Dene) to current fashion trends.
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Frank Wassegijig is a Toronto-based artisan with his home community, Wikwemikong First Nation on Manitoulin Island. His baby moccasins are exquisitely crafted and his leather tooling work focuses on presentation of cultural symbols. His work – beautiful and functional – is in high demand at shows and Pow Wows in Toronto and surrounding area.
LET US KNOW YOU’RE COMING to the #RiversideTO #EatsNBeats Streetfest
BIG THANK YOU to Riverside Eats & Beats sponsors for helping make this fantastic event possible: the Riverside BIA, Ontario 150, BMO Queen & Saulter Branch, Hullmark, Downtown Automotive Group, and Metroland Media.