Evelyn Siegfried, curator of the Aboriginal studies program at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, will be telling an object-driven story from the ethnology collection of beadwork, headdresses, moccasins and other incredible pieces that were donated to the museum over the years.

Winter months are a time to gather and tell stories – an oral tradition that Sâkêwêwak First Nations Artists' Collective continues to honour. This year marks the 16^th Annual of the Sâkêwêwak Storytellers Festival which brings diverse artists together to tell stories in different forms – here in Regina. The event also coincides with Aboriginal Storytelling Month in Saskatchewan.

This year’s storytellers festival will have 30 various visual artists involved where they will focus on showcasing and celebrating Indigenous arts through storytelling in a traditional or contemporary way.

Evelyn Siegfried, who is the curator of the Aboriginal studies program at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, will be telling an object-driven story from the ethnology collection of beadwork, headdresses, moccasins and other incredible pieces that were donated to the museum over the years.

Some of the pieces in the beaded art collection of the RSM.

While wearing rubber gloves, Siegfried gently pulls out a lone flower designed beaded cuff that is missing the matching cuff. A story she wants to share about her desire in finding answers to her unanswered questions about the maker of the beaded cuff.

“When I look at it, I really feel like that part is missing. I would love to get that part to tell the whole story,” she says.

Adam Martin, the Executive Director of Sâkêwêwak, says this year’s storytellers festival has a reliance on partnerships by combining resources and networks to meet each other’s goals and keeping the events centralized.

“My goal has been to showcase members of the collective. That means a lot of local, young and emerging artists,” he says.

Bill Stevenson, who happens to be an emerging artist, will be participating in this year’s storytellers festival through his contribution in ‘The Next 150^’ exhibit where Indigenous artists envision the next 150 years of Canada’s historical relationship with Indigenous people through visual art. He’s excited to be a part of this year’s festival.

 “I’ve always appreciated the talent that comes into the Sâkêwêwak Storytellers Festival and it’s a great feeling to be considered to be a part of that. I’m really looking forward to this,” he says. 

Stevenson will also be a part of a book launch of the newly released book called ‘mitêwâcimowina: Indigenous Science Fiction and Speculative Storytelling’ where he contributed a short story called ‘The Seven Sisters and Sirius.’ The book launch event will be held on Thursday evening at the MacKenzie Art Gallery.

Other storytellers in the festival include Joseph Naytowhow, Krista Belle Stewart, Maria Campbell and Richard Van Camp. For a complete list of events, schedules and storytellers, visit www.sakewewak.ca on this year’s Sâkêwêwak Storytellers Festival.