We are still painting sets and making puppets. I am planning to start animating this week! I've managed to arrange to get some help from some of the students from the OMVC Cabinet Making Program. Volunteers are welcome between 10 am and 10 pm this week at the studio!

Here is a picture of Lady Shannon helping out with JJ and Haana on Saturday. 

I am now in the middle of puppet creation. Here is a picture of a large cardboard octopus, along with two heros and Raven. The heros' faces were carved by Gwaai Edenshaw, and the Raven by his brother Jaalen Edenshaw. As you can see from the picture, there is still a lot to do, including putting some kinds of skins on the puppets. My research online suggests that the pros use foam latex to make their puppets. I would like to learn this technique, but that's not in the cards for this round of stories. In the meantime, I've been using some DIY cardboard tech engineering. I am here at the studio tonight until 1 am. And I am planning to work in the studio tomorrow from 1 pm to 1 am. It's time to get this bird off the ground! If you are interested in getting involved in the project, please join the Haidawood Media Project facebook group. You can find updates there, as well as details on how to help.

Software, puppets, and supplies

Today has been a slow day so far, and there is so much to do! I did grab a bunch of supplies, including food, glue for papier mache, and paints for the sets. No volunteers today, but I'll make some calls to get the volunteers here.

Today I called Kagi and asked for a refund on iStopmotion Pro. Basically, the software doesn't support live preview with the Canon Rebel T3i that we'll be using. I've been happy with iStopmotion in the past, and, I am prepared to take some risks in order to improve the final look and feel of our movies. I've ordered a copy of DragonFrame, so we'll see how that works. The software is a download, but there is a keypad and a lens that will need to be shipped from California. Packages are notoriously slow getting here to the islands, so fingers crossed.

Storyboard, etc.

I've finished a first draft of a storyboard, and I've had a chance to run it by XKHS and Marriane Ignace. I am making some revisions, and I figure we'll start making sets on Monday, and perhaps the puppets this weekend... Busy times!

Research for story board and more

Well, I am just in the process of completing a first draft of the Tow Hill storyboard. There are a number of details that I need to clarify with locals, elders, and other cultural experts.

In the meantime, I came across this short that a young person has done online...

Info Sessions this Thursday and Friday

We are starting to recruit volunteers and helpers for the next set of Haidawood movies. If you are interested in participating in some way, e.g., drawing on cardboard, helping make sets, and moving puppets, then please come to one of the info sessions on Thursday and Friday of this week!

Tow Hill Story

I was looking today at Gwaai Edenshaw's drawings of the Tow Hill story. You can read the story there too. It's on the XKHS Haida Legends website.

I've had a chance to discuss with Gwaai, Jaalen, and others. It's fun to feel things start to move and come together... the story is beginning to take shape!

I've been pulling together info on Tow Hill... this is from Vancouver Island.com:

"A prominent landmark on North Beach, at 109 metres (357 ft) in height, is Tow Hill, a huge outcrop of basalt columns formed when volcanic rock solidified into faceted basalt pillars about 2 million years ago. Tow Hill rises from the flat bogs of the Argonaut Plain at the mouth of the Hiellen River as the second highest point in the park, after Argonaut Hill (150 metres/492 ft). Enjoy the spectacular view along the curve of sun-drenched North Beach.

It is from Tow Hill that legend says the cruel Tow threw boulders to slay the Haida warrior Hopi. At North Beach on the northern border of the park, according to Haida legend, raven first brought people into the world by coaxing them out of a clam shell, making North Beach the site of creation."

This is the first time I've heard Tow described as cruel. I will learn more!

Gearing up and other news

We are gearing up for another Haidawood Media Project cycle. The plan is to make two movies, one in April and one in May. I am setting up the studio at the apartment below Jaalen Edenshaw's place in Masset. I will make some posters soon!

In other news, LOVE (Leave Out Violence) is coming up to Haida Gwaii from April 19-21 in collaboration with Swan Bay Rediscovery. Hopefully we'll figure out a way to allow youth from the North to participate. See:

Tow Hill story and more

Well, my gig with NWCC ended at the end of January of this year. I am now back to being a free agent. I've met with the Lucy Bell from the Haida Language group, and I've been working with Jaalen Edenshaw in preparation for making another two Haidawood movies. We are scheduled to start on Monday April 2nd.

The first story we will be telling is the Tow Hill story, which tells how the iconic Tow Hill came to be. I am living on Tow Hill these days with Lady Shannon and JJ, so this is an especially relevant story for me. It is an honour to be able to help tell it!

We still haven't decided on the second story, but we can figure that out later in April.

On the Gwaii

It's been a while since I've posted. I am now working for Northwest Community College in the capacity of Director of Education for Haida Gwaii. I've been in the position for about 6 months, learning about how the College operates, and working on translating ideas into real world programs. NWCC has 3 small campuses on Haida Gwaii: my home campus at the Haida Heritage Centre in Skidegate, a campus in the Queen Charlotte Community Centre, and a campus in Masset near the old hospital. I am especially interested in finding ways for the College to help support the Haida language effort here. NWCC has developed a Haida language curriculum, and I have secured some funds to adapt that curriculum for the Skidegate dialect. My hope is to offer a Haida language course in the Spring of 2012 in the Skidegate dialect here at the Haida Heritage Centre. In Masset they have a strong language group, but there is a great need for Haida language curriculum here in Skidegate, and my hope is that the College can help meet that need.

Last year I applied for funds from the Canada Council to make another set of movies in partnership with Xaad Kihlgaa Hl Suu.u (the Haida language group in Masset). That application was successful. It's been a challenge to find time to make the movies now that I have got a very busy, fun, and challenging job. I have been looking for ways to bring the project within the College (so I can work on it as part of my job, and leverage the resources of the College to support the language effort here on-island), possibly by running the project as a course through NWCC's school of Workforce Training and Continuing Studies. If successful, the course could eventually be moved through the Education Council and become a university credit course within the First Nation Studies Program. This would allow students to get university credit for learning to make Aboriginal language movies. It would also mean that other Aboriginal communities within NWCC's service area (including the Tlingit, Tahltan, Nisga'a, Gitxsan, Tsimshian, Wet'suwet'en, and Haisla people) would have an opportunity to learn to make their own language movies in support of their own efforts to preserve and promote their language and culture.

There are some other interesting language efforts happening here on Haida Gwaii. On July 29th, there will be a book launch of a book of photography entitled "That Which Makes Us Haida: The Haida Language". The book features photos of prominent Haida community members involved in the language effort. The pictures were taken by Farah Nosh, whom I've met a few times back in the day up in Masset. Another interesting project is the Skidegate Education Council's decision to fund a Haida language App for the iPad. I very much appreciate their efforts to use technology to engage youth and make the language accessible. One day I'd like to make a Haida language movie here in Skidegate. In the meantime, there are tentative plans for the Skidegate Haida Immersion Program (SHIP) to dub the existing Haidawood movies into the Skidegate dialect.

I myself still only know a few words of Haida, mostly in the Masset dialect. Now that I've got a baby (Journey James, who is now one and a half), a partner (the lady Shannon) and a busy job, it seems to be more challenging than ever to learn the language. I am hoping to take a course. The good news is that the language is written phonetically, so in principle, once you know how to sound out the syllables, it should be possible to access the written material that seems to be available (including a phrase book put out by SHIP). I guess we'll see.

Visited Lil'Wat land

Kúkwstumckacw to the Lil'Wat Cultural Centre in Mount Currie for meeting with me around the possibility of making some movies up there in the Lil'Wat language (Ucmalmicwts). Together, we have a grant in to the Canada Council to make some animated language movies. I got to show some of the Haidawood movies, and also got to see some examples of Lil'Wat art and weaving. While I was up there, I also visited the Squamish-Lil'Wat Cultural Centre in Whistler. There they have a beautiful world-class facility, including a beautiful theatre space.

Looking for work and teaching animation course

Well, I am disappointed to report that the Canada Council grant to make some movies with the kwakwaka'wakw people did not come through. So, I am now looking for other gigs in the Victoria area. I have arranged to teach a weekly animation course at the Paint Box in Fernwood. And, I am going to need to string together some other gigs to help make ends meet this summer. Please contact me if you have any leads!

Blue Card

I got a blue card on our application to the Canada Council to make two movies with the Kwakwaka'wakw people of Fort Rupert. The grant was submitted under the auspices of the Constant Arts Society. The blue card is good sign. Now we'll have to wait to hear if we have the funding or not to do the project. I'm hoping we'll get to go up there for May and June.

Success!

Had a nice showing of the two most recent Haidawood movies here in Victoria at the Event Centre. The evening was organized by Megan Hetherington of Set Monkey Productions... I enjoyed the movies I got to watch, and got some nice compliments on the Haidawood movies and some good discussion too.

New Haidawood Movies on Isuma TV

I just posted the latest Haidawood movies on Isuma TV. You can watch Yaanii K'uuka here and The Golden Spruce here. Please go and leave a comment! Note that it helps to have Isuma in the high-bandwidth mode. Also, you can download the movies as a podcast for your iPod.

Workshop Results

Today I lead a workshop on using animation to help record and celebrate First Nation languages. I was up late making puppets, and we used them to good effect today. Here is the result of our labours: a short movie with one line of Giksan dialog. The movie is called "Honey I'm Home."

Heading to Vancouver tomorrow

Tomorrow I am headed to Vancouver to participate in a First Nations Language Conference sponsored by the First Peoples' Heritage Language and Cultural Council and the First Nations Education Steering Committee. Lucy Bell and I will be co-hosting a workshop entitled "Celebrating Your Language in the Modern World." I plan to focus on the different steps in creating an animated movie in a traditional language, and give participants a chance to actually animate something.

Yaanii K'uuka

This is the story of a little girl who won't eat her food, and who doesn't listen to he parents. Her mother warns her "Yaanii K'uuka will get you!" but she doesn't listen. Then, one day, a beautiful stranger arrives...

Based on the traditional Haida story. The movie was made in the summer of 2008 up in Masset.

Animation workshop at First Nations Language Conference

Lucy and I will be hosting an animation workshop at the upcoming First Nations Language Conference in Vancouver, July 5-6, put on by the First Nations Educational Steering Committee. The theme of the conference is "Bringing Language to Life" and of course animation is a perfect way to bring stories to life in traditional languages. The title of the workshop is "1A: Celebrating Your Language in the Modern World" and it's a two part session, with time for some hands-on animation by participants. This workshop is on Sunday July 5th.

Applied to the Knowledge Network

On Monday I sent off a proposal to make some movies with the Knowledge Network as part of their First Voices project. Mainly, I focused on making another two movies up in Haida Gwaii. I also suggested that we could make other movies with other First Nations groups, including the Kwagiulth, Gitxsan, Stolo, Squamish, Musquem, and Hesquiat First Nations. I am hoping that they will want to support us.