Tŝideldel First Nation is partnering with 2 Rivers Remix to host a Moveable Feast at Bendziny Resort at Puntzi Lake on June 20 and 21.
Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day, the event welcomes everyone and anyone to sing, dance and connect with contemporary Indigenous musicians including two-time Juno Awards winner Aysanabee to the Tŝilhqot'in's very own Bannock Dogz band.
“Each event ends up having a very unique personality and experience,” said Meeka Morgan, co-founder and artistic director of 2 Rivers Remix.
Morgan said their moveable feasts don't quite fall under the description of a music festival, nor can they simply be defined as a touring production. More than a reason for dancing and singing, moveable feasts are an opportunity for First Nation communities to reclaim their own musical histories in a supportive environment, while also empowering Indigenous people to pursue their interests in music.
“It’s a scary thing for our people to feel comfortable bringing live music into our communities,” Morgan said.
One reason for this, she said, is due to the colonial suppression of Indigenous culture.
“Even though art and music is integral to our...value system, our ways and our traditions...we were separated by it legally through the potlatch law,” Morgan said. “We were actually criminalized to sing our songs, do our dances and gather in any way until very late in this last century...That severely impacted our people and our traditions, cultures and values.”
Morgan said it can be healing for Indigenous people to witness their community embracing music and celebration, whether it’s traditional or contemporary. As an event open to everyone, she said it is also a way for people to find common ground and understanding.
“Art and music really work to get through those divisions, connect us in ways that maybe are very difficult for us otherwise,” Morgan said. “For people coming from outside, it gives an opportunity for them to see the beauty of community...to witness what has happened and to understand that they truly are guests on our land.”
The free event will begin on Friday, June 20 with jam sessions, a dinner and workshops focused on music, healing and community running from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. There will also be horseshoe and lahal tournaments.
Saturday will be the “big proper moveable feast,” Morgan said, beginning at noon with a welcoming ceremony from Tŝideldel First Nation and its Elders and an opening performance by Mexika-Tenochka artists Ana Cornejo and Leo Vara.
The day’s events will be headlined by Aysanabee as well as by multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter and producer Sebastian Gaskin, a 2025 Juno award-winner.
The all-Indigenous lineup will also include Resident Elder Artist and Inuvialuit folk-rock legend Willie Thrasher and Linda Saddleback, the only Tŝilhqot'in honkytonk band in the world and the “deadliest uncle band going,” Bannock Dogz, singer-songwriter Myc Sharratt of Ts'il Kaz Koh, Lorissa Scriven of Saulteau First Nations, Tŝilhqot'in’s own hiphop lyricists and music producers Rich n Beka, Afro-Indigenous artist and music producer Sekawnee and hip hop artist Higher Knowledge, or HK. The event will close with Anishinaabe, Métis and North African DJ and producer Handsome Tiger.
Morgan’s own band, a Secwépemc intergenerational healing roots-rhizome, hip-hop fusionist called The Melawmen Collective, will also be performing at the event.
Those interested in marking Indigenous Peoples Day with dance and song, and those interested in developing their own musical skills through workshops, are encouraged to pre-register for the event which will take place at Bendziny Lakeside Resort, 3904 Puntzi Lake Road.
“This isn’t just Indigenous for Indigenous, this is Indigenous for all,” Morgan said. “Come on out and experience it, bring comfy chairs and bring an open heart."
Performances will also be live streamed for those unable to attend in person.
Morgan encourages those interested in getting involved with 2 Rivers Remix to come to the event, attend their workshops, ask to volunteer or connect with them over email.
2 Rivers Remix is a nonprofit society first established in 2018 and has grown from hosting one event per year to at times more than ten a year.
