“Raven Mother honours our mothers and celebrates their legacy,” says Margaret Grenier, Executive and Artistic Director of Dancers of Damelahamid. Her dance work Raven Mother is a multimedia tribute to her mother, Elder Margaret Harris, and the matriarchs who have preserved Indigenous cultural knowledge across generations. The performance, premiering in Toronto on November 29, is presented by DanceWorks and highlights the critical role of women in safeguarding and passing down traditions, including dance, regalia, and storytelling, which are central to identity and community.
Elder Margaret Harris (1931–2020) was a respected Cree Elder from Northern Manitoba who spent most of her life on British Columbia’s Northwest Coast. She trained under her mother-in-law, Gitxsan Matriarch Irene Harris, and later dedicated her life to revitalizing and teaching Indigenous cultural practices, including song, dance, storytelling, and regalia making. Harris, a co-founder of Dancers of Damelahamid in 1967, was instrumental in the revitalization of Indigenous dance along the Northwest Coast, and Raven Mother reflects her enduring legacy while embracing modern innovation.
Structured around narrative-based vignettes, the program presents Gitxsan stories through dance, song, regalia, masks, and sculptures. “Movement is informed by music and regalia, but it also informs the creation of these elements, and everything supports the story,” Grenier explains. Performed to original music composed by Raven Grenier in collaboration with Ted Hamilton, Raven Mother also highlights the intricate artistry of Northwest Coast creators, including David A. Boxley, David R. Boxley, Jim Charlie, Kandi McGilton, and Dylan Sanidad.
A striking visual is the raven transformation mask, which opens to reveal interconnected human faces, each representing a generation of daughters carrying forward their matriarchal legacy. “Our artistic practices define us by establishing the very essence of our identity,” Grenier reflects. “We are connected to an ancestral legacy, to land, to story, to language, to community by upholding a continual practice.”
For Grenier, Raven Mother is deeply personal. Elder Margaret Harris’s influence extended beyond dance, encompassing all aspects of cultural practice. “She didn’t just teach us one part of what we needed to be able to practise dance. She also taught all aspects of regalia and drum making, and ensured that her family was immersed in these practices.” To honour this, Raven Mother features elaborate regalia designed by Rebecca Baker-Grenier, including a raven cloak made of feathers that revives a traditional Gitxsan piece not danced for generations.
“With Raven Mother, we are offering our best selves, in honour of our mothers,” Grenier says. She hopes that younger audience members or aspiring Indigenous artists “are impacted and inspired to see their own possibilities. There is a collective wellness that comes through recognizing our potential, seeing our true selves, a sense of belonging and self-worth.”
Grenier describes how Raven Mother marks a generational shift within her family: “When Elder Margaret Harris passed, our family felt its impact deeply. There was a great loss in the generation that revitalized dance, and a new role for the next generation of knowledge carriers.” The work features family members performing alongside her, including her children Nigel and Raven Grenier, niece Tobie Wick, and daughter-in-law Rebecca Baker-Grenier. Speaking about her daughter, Grenier says, “The compositions reflect the purity of her heart, a young woman offering her best self in honour of Elder Margaret Harris.” Witnessing her daughter’s commitment, Grenier adds, “secures hope in our generation for the future of these practices.” Their presence on stage demonstrates the powerful symbolism of intergenerational collaboration, with Harris’s spirit embodied not only in the narrative but also in the dancers themselves, who carry her vision forward for future generations.
The production also responds to the historical erasure of Indigenous traditions, particularly the Potlatch Ban that outlawed Indigenous ceremonies, song, and dance for nearly 70 years. “Many Canadians may not be aware,” Grenier notes, “that from 1884 to 1951, the Potlatch Ban criminalized Indigenous cultural practices on this land.” This policy threatened to sever the continuity of movement practices that ground Raven Mother. Grenier calls the production “the culmination of four generations of work of dance revitalization in our family,” representing her ancestors’ perseverance and her mother’s vision. “We push ourselves to honour the complexities of these art forms, and to weave our stories into hers.”
Reflecting on her mother’s legacy, Grenier says, “Grandma Harris was compelled to bring healing to those who are most in need. She sustained the strength to hold her vision for her children and future generations, overcoming so much to establish a beautifully rich artistic practice.” Her mother’s dedication continues to inspire Grenier’s commitment to fostering cultural renewal and empowerment.
More than a dance piece, Raven Mother is an act of reclamation, a continuation of the life work of a woman who inspired generations. “Our mothers knew this, and with dedicated love, they instilled in us everything we needed to hold ourselves in this life,” maintains Grenier. Under her leadership, Dancers of Damelahamid bridges generations, embodying a legacy of resilience, belonging, and the enduring strength of cultural identity. As the dancers take the stage, Raven Mother invites audiences to witness, remember, and carry forward the knowledge and strength that each generation inherits from the last.
Raven Mother’s Toronto appearance is part of a cross-country tour. The company’s last performance for Toronto audiences took place in October 2019 with Mînowin, also presented by DanceWorks. Raven Mother will be performed at 12:15 pm and 7:30 pm on November 29 at the Harbourfront Centre’s Fleck Dance Theatre. Audiences can experience this powerful celebration of cultural revitalization in a 75-minute full-length evening performance or a 60-minute matinee presentation, followed by a post-show artist talk. Tickets are available through Harbourfront Centre’s box office. For more details and to reserve seats, visit harbourfrontcentre.com.
© Arpita Ghosal, Sesaya Arts Magazine, 2024
