The November 19, 2022 Cultural Conversation on Zoom brought together artists and others interested in creating collaborative projects with several of the people that Elektra worked with on its 2022 Teachings of the Water reconciliation video project. The goal was to create a safe space for a 90-minute dialogue in which to discuss proposals and ideas.
Leading the conversation with a series of questions about one’s motivations for embarking on such projects, asking “what’s in it for the Indigenous collaborators”, and how to build lasting relationships was Dr. Jeanette Gallant, ethnomusicologist. Responding to these questions and suggesting best practices were special guests Candice Halls-Howcroft (Squamish Nation) and Shelley MacDonald (Mi’kmaq Ugpi’Ganjig, Eel River and Scottish).
The referenced project, Snewíyalh tl’a Staḵw (Teachings of the Water), was a 3-year project of Elektra Women’s Choir. Created in collaboration with Coast Salish, Interior Salish, and Métis collaborators, it encompasses three videos, all of which are available permanently on Elektra’s YouTube channel:
- Music Video (28 minutes) which features a new choral work and cultural teachings
- Listener’s Guide video (67 minutes)
- Squamish Language Pronunciation Guide video (18 minutes)