The Gigidoowag Ziibiik / The Rivers Speak Community Play process took place from 2013-2018 in Central Algoma, Ontario. It was led by Thinking Rock Community Arts in partnership with Mississauga First Nation, the Town of Blind River, Serpent River First Nation, and the City of Elliot Lake with the support of many participants, community partners, and volunteers.
Over five years, four thousand Settler and Indigenous community members of all ages participated in over 70 community workshops, art-making sessions, story gathering activities, outreach events and rehearsals leading up to the final production, as well as the Evolving Gallery that took place the following summer.
The Gigidoowag Ziibiik / Rivers Speak Community Play was performed in Mississauga First Nation on the sacred Pow Wow Grounds in September 2017. It was performed in Anishnaabemowin, French and English by a cast of 40 community members aged 4 to 85.
This music for the play was created over four years by professional musicians and music learners of all ages associated with the Algoma Traditional Music and Dance organization (AlgomaTrad) in collaboration with local Anishinaabe singers and drummers, led by Grandmother Marly Day.
This long, careful and caring process of respectful musical co-creation across ages, languages, cultures and ways of knowing was a deeply transformational experience that played a central role in shaping how the play would unfold. We are honoured to be able to share it with the world through our recently released recording, The Gigidoowag Ziibiik / The Rivers Speak: Music from a Community Play.
Click “Buy the CD” to purchase the hard copy album and have it shipped to you. Click the social links to purchase or stream the album online.
The full album can be listened to here: thinkingrock.hearnow.com
We are grateful to everyone who so generously offered their voices, music, hearts, hands, talents, skills, stories, passion and inspiration to this project.
Credits and Acknowledgements
THE RIVERS SPEAK
MUSICAL TEAM:
Musical Director:
James Stephens (guitar, vocals, percussion, bass)
Lead Hand Drummer and Singer:
Grandmother Marly Day
Additional vocals:
Kathy Robitaille, Kimberly Arnold, Louise Lemieux
Accordion:
Julie Schryer
Cello:
Zach Schryer-LeFebvre
Fiddle:
Áine Schryer-O’Gorman
Highland and Uilleann Pipes, Flute, Whistles:
Patrick O’Gorman
Celtic Harp:
Gina Marie Wilson
Additional Vocals:
The Rivers Speak Community Cast
Percussion:
Marcel Jacques, Destiny Jacques
Recording Producers:
James Stephens & Pat O’Gorman
Recording and Mixing Engineer: James Stephens
Mixing:
James Stephens (Stove Studios, Chelsea, QC) and Pat O'Gorman
Mastering:
Philip Shaw Bova (Ottawa, ON)
THE RIVERS SPEAK
ARTISTIC TEAM:
Artistic Director, Writer:
Robin Sutherland
Elder Advisors:
Elsie Bissaillon, Max Chiblow, Marly Day, Willie Pine, Gerard Sagassige
Local Advisors:
Jon Cada, Tracy Fraser
Co-writer & Dramaturge:
Liz Rucker
Project & Production Mentor:
Ruth Howard
Director:
Varrick Grimes
Stage Manager:
Sasha Tate-Howarth
Choreographer:
Aria Evans
Assistant Director:
Jamie Oshkabewisens
Assistant Choreographer:
Julia Hune-Brown
Lead Designer:
Miranda Bouchard
Associate Designer:
Ange Loft
Costume Maker & Coordinator: Marianne Alas
Prop & Puppetmaker:
Adrienne Marcus Raja
Thunderbird Woman Imagery:
Isaac Murdoch
Thunderbird Woman Regalia Makers:
Marilyn Trudeau (dress), Marlene Essex (leggings and moccasins)
Design/Production Assistants:
Nani Bell Gonawabi, Roxanne Martin
Technical Director:
Steafan Hannigan
Sound Technician:
Alaska B., Oisin Hannigan
Makers:
Diana Blazek, Cheryl Legault, Britt-Marie Lindgren, Lisa Meschino, Crystal Bossio, Sharon Hunter, Gillian Lloyd, Áine Schryer-O’Gorman, Matt Ceolin, and others
Lighting & Sound Equipment:
Crank Sound Distribution
THE RIVERS SPEAK
COMMUNITY CAST:
Kimberly Arnold
Cadence Bissaillon
Elsie Bissaillon
Diana Blazek
Jessica Bolduc
Dana Boyer
Brenna Boyer-Chiblow
Brooke Boyer-Chiblow
Jon Cada
Blaine Commanda
Marly Day
Janice Gamble
Bob Gardiner
Cassidy Graham
Lily Graham
Emile Grimes
Rosy Grimes
Destiny Jacques
Marcel Jacques
Alyssa Labelle
Zachary Lefebvre
Louise Lemieux
Gillian Lloyd
Jae Mahmutova
Lisa Meschino
Joelle Morehouse
Julia Morehouse
Charlotte Munro
Terry Nyman
Robbie O’Leary
Jamie Oshkabewisens
Judy Paquin
Ginny Post
Sarah Ranger
Kathy Robitaille
Robin Sutherland
Animikwaan Trudeau
Don Trudeau
Mentor Organizations:
Community Partners:
Artistic Collaborators:
Funders:
Individual Donors:
Kim Arnold, Crystal Bossio, Katie Elliott, Angie Gallop, Janice Gamble, Heather Hoffman, Ruth Howard, Marcel Jacques, Christopher Lee, Cheryl Legault, Ian Lloyd, The MacKay-McCracken Family, Don McGorman, Annmarie Ruttimann, Robin Sutherland and The Webb-Apgar Family