Bonjour from Montreal,
Hard to believe that the IPY 2012 Conference “From Knowledge to Action” is almost coming to an end. All week, deciding which sessions to attend has been a source of tough decisions. The number of possibilities is just overwhelming!
Fortunately, at lunch break, the choice is quite easy: it’s time to attend cultural performances. Today, I’m sharing with you some of the photos taken on Tuesday. It was a great pleasure to see Artcirq, the Inuit circus based in Igloolik (Nunavut). Back in February 2009, I had attended their performances during Winterlude in Gatineau and I was glad to realize that several members of the group were still around: Joey, Jimmy, Terry, Jenny and of course, their mentor Guillaume Saladin. Hundreds of congress attendees flocked to the stage area and based on the laughs and applauses, all had a great time and appreciated the group’s humourous presentation!
Artcirq was preceeded by the Dakhká Khwáan Dancers, a Traditional Inland Tlingit dance group from the Carcross/Tagish area (Yukon). Dakhká Khwáan means Inland People/Nation. We were treated to a very colourful drumming and singing performance.
In spring 2011, I spent a few days in the Carcross area. Unfortunately, it was too early in the season to hope to be able to attend some of the shows they give in the summer time. But, I did walk around the town and along Lake Bennett and took in some of the spectacular scenery. I also went for a walk in the desert that the drum leader and singer, Gary Kanas’iax Johnson, mentionned. If you are curious to see some images from the Carcross area, I invite you to take a look at last year’s post entitled : My first day in the Yukon: Tagish and Carcross.
Long live Artcirq and the Dakhká Khwáan Dancers! It is wonderful to see such initiatives to keep traditions alive.
Enjoy your day! Time to head to the Palais des Congrès for more polar activities.
France Rivet
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