The Georgia Straight proudly sponsors the Talking Stick Festival

The 11th annual Talking Stick Festival takes place from February 20 to March 4 at various Vancouver venues including the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre (181 Roundhouse Mews), The Cultch (1895 Venables Street), the Holiday inn Hotel and Suites Vancouver Downtown (1110 Howe Street), and Grandview School (2055 Woodland Drive).

The festival celebrates Aboriginal communities using various disciplines, including dance, comedy, music, and slam poetry. New to this year’s festival are three, critically acclaimed theatre pieces: Metis Mutt, Sheldon Elter’s one-man show, which runs from February 21 to 22; In a World Created by a Drunken God, by Canadian Frist Nations playwright Drew Hyden Taylor, which runs from February 23 to 25; and Chocolate Woman Dreams the Milky Way, a new show by Monique Mojica on from February 28 to March 3.

The 14-day festival also features an art exhibition at the Roundhouse with nine Indigenous artists, including Rebecca Belmore, Lance Cardinal, Merritt Johnson, Peter Morin, Dionne Paul, Michelle Sylliboy, Janice Toulouse, Charlene Vickers, and Xwalacktun (Rick Harry). Along with the many other diverse live performances are an artist talk series and workshop series for emerging artists.

Tickets to all events are available online or by phone at either Tickets Tonight, the Cultch, or Full Circle.