DANCERS OF DAMELAHAMID - RAVEN MOTHER

A vibrant tribute to Margaret Harris, an Indigenous elder who devoted her life to keeping her culture alive. A colourful multimedia narrative, a stream of images, dance, song, carved masks and sumptuous regalia.

A powerful upholder for Indigenous culture, Margaret Harris (1931–2020) was instrumental in revitalizing traditional singing, dancing, storytelling and regalia-making on British Columbia's Northwest Coast. With her husband, Chief Kenneth Harris (1928–2010), she founded the Dancers of Damelahamid company in 1967, out of a sense of urgency to preserve these ancestral practices. Her daughter Margaret Grenier, supported by her daughters and granddaughters, has taken up the torch. Raven Mother — a reference to the raven, the clan's crest—pays tribute to the unwavering determination and commitment of the matriarch and the vital role of mothers in passing on a precious legacy. Bridging Indigenous traditions and more contemporary forms, this is an immediate and essential immersion in a rich and remarkable culture.