Yukon International Storytelling Festival
Encyclopedia
The Yukon International Storytelling Festival is held every Summer in Whitehorse
, Yukon
, generally in an outdoor setting. The storytelling festival
was conceived in the mid 1980s when one the Yukon's last Tagish
speakers found herself going to the Toronto Festival of Storytelling to disseminate her peoples' stories to a world audience. 1987 saw the coming together of interested parties and the planning stages for the first Yukon Storytelling Festival in 1988. It has since grown beyond the scope of Yukon
and Canada
to attract storytellers
from all over the world with am emphasis on native peoples storytelling and circumpolar countries.
was one of the artists. In 1990 the festival grows. In 1991 the festival gains notoriety from a national festival reviewer and changes its name to "Yukon International Storytelling Festival". The Tagish lady who inspired the creation of the festival, Angela Sidney
, died. 1992's edition experienced diplomatic problems with its scheduled Russian
guests. 1993 saw record attendance and box office sales. 1994 the festival experienced severe financial losses due to a windstorm that nearly destroyed the festival tents and caused the festival to relocate. In 1995 the festival was scaled down in order to recoup past financial losses, and produced a surplus for the first time. In 1996 the festival grew once more and saw its second best attendance. The 10th anniversary edition in 1997 experienced its best attendance yet and interest from the Canada Council
finally started happening.
Second decade. The 1998 edition felt a loss of attendance because of competing local events. In 1999 it proposed a new successful "Winter tour" and finally garnered support from the Canada Council
. The 2000 edition was held in June and had great weather . 2001, rain did not impede the festivals popularity. In 2002 the festival gained much political support and moved into new offices with a new dynamic leader. The 2003 edition saw a successful Circumpolar
Banquet and other workshops and events throughout the day. The many forest fires of 2004 created a unique atmosphere for the festival, the highlight storytellers were "Red Sky Performance Troupe" from Ontario
. The largest festival in 2005 had 12 tents with many different activities. Highlighted artists were "Uzume Taiko" Japanese drumming ensemble, "Aché Brasil" performing the Brazil
ian martial art of capoeira
and Robert Bly. 2006 was a similarly large endeavour (partnership with "Harvest Fair") and the Mongolian yurt
s provided cozy, warm and intimate storytelling venues. This years' 20th anniversary was held indoors for the first time at the Yukon Arts Center in August. Highlighted artists were SunsDrum, an interactive Inuit
presentation of traditional drum
ming and throat singing
, Jeanne Doucet Currie, an Acadian
traditional storyteller and singer/songwriter, Dan Yashinsky (founder of the Toronto Festival of Storytelling) and Ida Calmagne (Tagish, Yukon), daughter of the founder of the festival.
- Michele Emslie - Anne-Louise Genest - Backwoods Benny
Whitehorse, Yukon
Whitehorse is Yukon's capital and largest city . It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1476 on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas occupy both shores of the Yukon River, which originates in British Columbia and meets the Bering Sea in...
, Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
, generally in an outdoor setting. The storytelling festival
Storytelling festival
A storytelling festival is often an annual event that features local, regional and/or nationally known oral storytellers. Each storyteller will have a scheduled amount of time to share a story with an audience...
was conceived in the mid 1980s when one the Yukon's last Tagish
Tagish language
Tagish is an endangered Northern Athabaskan language spoken by the Tagish people in the Yukon Territory in Canada. It is almost extinct as there are only two fluent speakers left.Tagish is closely related to Kaska and Tahltan...
speakers found herself going to the Toronto Festival of Storytelling to disseminate her peoples' stories to a world audience. 1987 saw the coming together of interested parties and the planning stages for the first Yukon Storytelling Festival in 1988. It has since grown beyond the scope of Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to attract storytellers
Storytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
from all over the world with am emphasis on native peoples storytelling and circumpolar countries.
History
First decade. The first edition in 1988 proposed storytellers from 4 continents and 23 languages (including 16 native languages). In 1989 the festivals take flight and promotes attendance by schoolchildren and Jerry AlfredJerry Alfred
Jerry Alfred is a Northern Tutchone musician living in Pelly Crossing, Yukon. He was named "Keeper of the Songs" at birth, an honorary title which he has made into a career, updating traditional Tutchone music by adding twentieth century Western influences.Alfred was born in the community of...
was one of the artists. In 1990 the festival grows. In 1991 the festival gains notoriety from a national festival reviewer and changes its name to "Yukon International Storytelling Festival". The Tagish lady who inspired the creation of the festival, Angela Sidney
Angela Sidney
Angela Sidney, was a Tagish storyteller. She co-authored two narratives of traditional Tagish legends, and a historical document of Tagish place names for southern Yukon...
, died. 1992's edition experienced diplomatic problems with its scheduled Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
guests. 1993 saw record attendance and box office sales. 1994 the festival experienced severe financial losses due to a windstorm that nearly destroyed the festival tents and caused the festival to relocate. In 1995 the festival was scaled down in order to recoup past financial losses, and produced a surplus for the first time. In 1996 the festival grew once more and saw its second best attendance. The 10th anniversary edition in 1997 experienced its best attendance yet and interest from the Canada Council
Canada Council
The Canada Council for the Arts, commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown Corporation established in 1957 to act as an arts council of the government of Canada, created to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. It funds Canadian artists and...
finally started happening.
Second decade. The 1998 edition felt a loss of attendance because of competing local events. In 1999 it proposed a new successful "Winter tour" and finally garnered support from the Canada Council
Canada Council
The Canada Council for the Arts, commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown Corporation established in 1957 to act as an arts council of the government of Canada, created to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. It funds Canadian artists and...
. The 2000 edition was held in June and had great weather . 2001, rain did not impede the festivals popularity. In 2002 the festival gained much political support and moved into new offices with a new dynamic leader. The 2003 edition saw a successful Circumpolar
Circumpolar
The term circumpolar may refer to:* circumpolar navigation: to travel the world "vertically" traversing both of the poles* Antarctic region** Antarctic Circle** the Antarctic Circumpolar Current** Subantarctic** List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands...
Banquet and other workshops and events throughout the day. The many forest fires of 2004 created a unique atmosphere for the festival, the highlight storytellers were "Red Sky Performance Troupe" from Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The largest festival in 2005 had 12 tents with many different activities. Highlighted artists were "Uzume Taiko" Japanese drumming ensemble, "Aché Brasil" performing the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian martial art of capoeira
Capoeira
Capoeira is a Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, sports, and music. It was created in Brazil mainly by descendants of African slaves with Brazilian native influences, probably beginning in the 16th century...
and Robert Bly. 2006 was a similarly large endeavour (partnership with "Harvest Fair") and the Mongolian yurt
Yurt
A yurt is a portable, bent wood-framed dwelling structure traditionally used by Turkic nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. The structure comprises a crown or compression wheel usually steam bent, supported by roof ribs which are bent down at the end where they meet the lattice wall...
s provided cozy, warm and intimate storytelling venues. This years' 20th anniversary was held indoors for the first time at the Yukon Arts Center in August. Highlighted artists were SunsDrum, an interactive Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
presentation of traditional drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
ming and throat singing
Inuit throat singing
Inuit throat singing or katajjaq, also known as the generic term overtone singing, is a form of musical performance uniquely found among the Inuit...
, Jeanne Doucet Currie, an Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
traditional storyteller and singer/songwriter, Dan Yashinsky (founder of the Toronto Festival of Storytelling) and Ida Calmagne (Tagish, Yukon), daughter of the founder of the festival.
Regular local guest storytellers
Jerry AlfredJerry Alfred
Jerry Alfred is a Northern Tutchone musician living in Pelly Crossing, Yukon. He was named "Keeper of the Songs" at birth, an honorary title which he has made into a career, updating traditional Tutchone music by adding twentieth century Western influences.Alfred was born in the community of...
- Michele Emslie - Anne-Louise Genest - Backwoods Benny