Dance group makes emotional return to Hoobiyee as Nisga'a new year celebration begins
Gitsegukla Gidahmes to honour several elders who have died since last performance
It's been a difficult past six years for members of the Gitsegukla Gidahmes song and dance group since their last appearance at Hoobiyee celebrations in Vancouver.
The group, revered at Hoobiyee for their loud and energetic performances, hails from the Gitsegukla First Nation community of about 500 people.
The First Nation, about 180 kilometres northeast of Prince Rupert, B.C., has lost eight elders over the past six years. Each loss in the community, particularly when it's children or elders, is felt hard.
"It took us a couple years to really get back to our old selves again" said Lyle Russell, one of the group's leaders.
One of those who died was Vernon Milton, the president of the group, who was also the father of group leader Darrell Milton.
"It gets challenging at times but we pushed through. We make the best of it," Darrell said.
Despite this challenge, the group has returned to Vancouver to honour the spirit of their ancestors.
At this year's Hoobiyee — which marks the start of the Nisga'a new year — the Gitsegukla Gidahmes will hold photos of those elders who died during their performance and in the grand entry, in what are expected to be emotional moments for the group.
Dancing for their ancestors
The Gitesegukla Gidahmes Dancers Song & Dance Group are known for being one of the loudest groups to perform at Hoobiyee in Vancouver.
Milton says that the group's energy comes from the ancestors who came before them.
"It's just like another performance for us, but when we're on the floor, the energy comes from our fore fathers and all our elders that left us behind. This motivates us to sing loud."
"For me it's really performing for our ancestors. I feel like that's where we get most of our energy" Russell.
Tradition of Hoobiyee
Hoobiyee marks the start of the Nisga'a new year with the arrival of the last crescent moon in February, and the return of the harvest, said Denise Doolan, the director of the Nisga'a Ts'amiks Dance group, based in Vancouver.
February and March, when Hoobiyee is celebrated, are known to be the coldest months of the year in the Nass Valley, Nisga'a territory. But soon after, local food sources such as the oolichan fish return to be harvested.
While Hoobiyee is a Nisga'a tradition, Indigenous peoples from different nations around the province are also invited to participate in the performances, and non-Indigenous people are also welcome to attend. This year's gathering runs Feb. 28-March 1.
Russell says that "Hoobiyee is meant for everybody. If you want to be emotionally and spiritually healed, the power of the drums is something. It really does hit your soul to hear those drum beats."
Gitsgeukla Gidahmes will perform in Vancouver alongside 16 other dance groups, Milton said. The group will be performing during grand entry and at 7 p.m. on Feb. 28.
Culture away from home
The original Hoobiyee takes place in the Nass Valley, approximately 1,500 kilometers north of Vancouver. But with so many Indigenous peoples living in urban areas, celebrations like Hooybiee in Vancouver are a way for Indigenous people to practice culture outside of their home territories.
"A lot of our Nisga'a members in the lower mainland couldn't … travel the 1,500 kilometers home for the Hoobiyee celebration up there," said Doolan, explaining why Hoobiyee in Vancouver was created in the late 90s.
With approximately 1,500 to 2,000 Nisag'a members living in the lower mainland, Hooyibee in Vancouver has become a solution to the financial barriers that come with travelling to the Nass valley.
The celebration outgrew its original venue at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre, and is now held at the PNE Forum.
Jade Doolan, manager of the Nisga'a Ts'amiks Dance group, says he hopes that one day it will move to an even larger venue like BC Place in downtown Vancouver.
"[We] extend the invitation for everybody to come, including yourself. Come see what we're about. Come be a part of it. Come see what the culture is about. Yourself, your bosses, your coworkers, the general public. We want everybody to be there," he said.
"Come see who we are."
The free event at the PNE Forum runs Friday and Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m. PT each day. An Indigenous market and food trucks will also be on site.
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With files from Wawmeesh Hamilton