Through the traditional story, music, and dance of today’s Tzinquaw Dance Group, we investigate the breaking of bounds of the Indian Act’s cultural oppression through the Tzinquaw Opera’s widespread acclaim in the 1940s-50’s, leading to the present-day revitalization of Cowichan culture.
Framed through the preparations, rehearsals, performance, and reaction to a performance of today’s Cowichan Tzinquaw Dancers, this documentary recounts and investigates the tragedy of the banning of the stl’unuq (Coast Salish spirit dance, or potlatch) and traditional Quw’utsun (Cowichan) drumming, along with the unique, surprising, and subversive manner of how these vital artistic expressions and customs were kept alive for future generations.
This triumph over the criminalization of traditional culture is shared through the oral storytelling of the descendants of Frank and Abel, as well as today’s Tzinquaw Dance Group members including Raymond (Rick) Peter whose father Ray Qwulshemut was one of the original Tzinquaw Opera dancers and singers. We also hear from other founding members who both performed in the Opera and have witnessed the transition into the current Tzinquaw Dance Group that exists today.
It’s an amazing story of resilience and a fight to preserve identity, while showcasing the history of a theatrical masterpiece, and how the group inspired other First Nations to revitalize their own cultural practices.