“There are so many stories that need to be told, so many voices that need to be heard, and art allows that expression…and it’s filled with so much beauty, so much richness, and it gives so much to all of us. And I see it as something that really connects us when we see art and feel that art whatever form it comes in.”
Melody Crowe
Connect with the arts and artists of Alderville First Nation, enjoy a tour of Alderville Black Oak Savanna or take part in a workshop and discussion on Reconciliation with Elder Melody Crowe, all during the Northumberland Festival of the Arts, September 16 – October 2, 2022, taking place in Northumberland County’s picturesque towns and beautiful countryside.
Focus on the Arts of Alderville First Nation
Thursday, Sept. 29, 10 AM to 4 PM
Art Exhibit and Sale at AV Ink and Art, 8467 Northumberland County Rd 18, Roseneath, ON K0K 2X0 : Also on view Saturday October 1.
Koren Smoke @korensmokeartist and local Indigenous artists from Alderville First Nation host an exhibit and sale of paintings, crafts, beading, and jewellery at AV Ink & Art. Enjoy chatting with the artists and purchase something beautiful for yourself or someone you love.
The Art of Restoration, a tour with Julie Henry at Alderville Black Oak Savanna, 8467 Northumberland County Rd 18, Roseneath, ON K0K 2X0, Thursday, September 29, 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Join Julie Henry, Natural Heritage Coordinator, on a tour of the Alderville Black Oak Savanna, a jewel of the Rice Lake Plains where for 23 years the organization has been restoring rare native plant communities, and transforming the Alderville Black Oak Savanna into a thriving grassland restoration, education and research site. The Alderville Black Oak Savanna now plays a key role in the future grassland restoration of this region by acting as local source for native plants and seed. Learn about the practice of ecological restoration and the convergence of traditional and western stewardship. Find out more at the website http://aldervillesavanna.ca/ or click here for an interview about the Black Oak Savanna with Rick Beaver, Ojibway artist, biologist, and elder from Alderville First Nation.
Sounding the Drum & Raising Our Voices: Resilience, Revitalization & Reconciliation with Elder Melody Crowe, Thursday, September 29, 2.30 PM to 4.30 PM at the Castleton Town Hall, 1780 Percy Street, Castleton
Melody Crowe is an elder of Alderville First Nation. She has worked tirelessly for the preservation of Ojibway culture and language over her long career. Melody is currently First Nations Education Liaison for the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board.
Melody Crowe will lead a workshop/discussion on: Resilience, Revitalization & Reconciliation.
In this workshop, Melody will speak to the importance of Indigenous voice, of storytelling, the importance of her Ancestral language & how the gift of Art plays an integral role in the process of reclamation & reconciliation. She will share some of her own personal writings and stories and engage participants in this discussion.
She writes: “Indigenous voices have always been here, telling our stories, singing our songs, being a voice that speaks up for the land, for the water, for our children, & for those generations yet to come. The Indigenous voice has always had to speak up to issues that have been placed upon our shoulders to carry forward from one generation to another. We have been speaking up for a lifetime to a history that oppressed & did everything in its power to silence our beautiful voices, a history that attacked Indigenous languages, culture & identity. Yet our voices have always been here, resilient & strong.”
Come to the Festival
Get more details or view the entire festival event schedule and purchase tickets here :
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Northumberland Festival of the Arts is a volunteer-run not-for-profit arts organization. To volunteer for NFOTA, please contact info@festivalofthearts.ca