Powwow Country: Planet IndigenUs, Aug. 10-19, 2012 Toronto and Brantford

Planet IndigenUs, Aug. 10-19
Toronto and Brantford

One of the world’s largest Indigenous festivals will once again be held at a pair of locations. The 2012 Planet IndigenUs is scheduled for Aug. 10-19 at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre as well as the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford. The festival celebrates contemporary Indigenous expression through visual artists, theatre artists, dancers, fashion designers, chefs, filmmakers, storytellers and musicians from around the world. Janis Monture, the co-artistic director of the festival, believes the event is an important one. “The festival itself captures what is going on now in Aboriginal arts,” said Monture, who is also the executive director of the Woodland Cultural Centre. “I think it’s really important to get it out to the mainstream.” Monture added those who have attended the festival in the past have found it to be educational. “People walk away with a better understanding of our people, our culture, our history and the contributions we make today.” Some of the festival highlights at the Woodland Cultural Centre are a visual arts exhibition called Earthly Connections as well as a showcase of student work called The Graffiti Project. Earthly Connections features the work of artists Kelly Greene, Shelley Niro and Vince Bomberry. The Graffiti Project will display the works of students from a Mohawk and Cayuga immersion school from nearby Six Nations. As for the events in Toronto, they include an opening day concert with Digging Roots and Kinnie Starr titled Celebrating The Crossroads - Opening Night Spectacle.

For more information, check out: www.harbourfrontcentre.com/planetindigenus/ or  www.woodland-centre.on.ca/planet-indigenus-2012