In 2000 the company of artists at Debajehmujig began to explore the question, what is the future for young Aboriginal men in Canada and what is a modern expression of traditional storytelling from an Anishnabe perspective. This began a long journey that brought the company together with Traditional Odawa Elder, Eddie King from Wikwemikong and opened the pathway to the foundation teachings and traditional knowledge that would form the basis of the Eighteen thousand year history of the Anishnabe on Turtle Island.
Since 2007, the company consciously planned its artistic seasons with the development of the eighteen thousand year history in each year. In 2007, the exploration took us back into the territory that our artists uniquely occupy, The Gulch, the space in between two distinct ways of looking at the world. In 2008, with Giiz Ghizhgaat – Turnip Day, we went to our own community and the foundation of the re-emergence of the expression of the Anishnabe in the early sixties. In 2009, the journey took us to an exploration of our history in threads, with Sinew to Sequins. In 2010, we joined together with several of our community organizations to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Wikwemikong Pow Wow and the cultural emancipators that courageously visioned a life way with Anishnabe beliefs and practices guiding its heart. The Honour Story was Debajehmujig’s most successful production in over ten years. The journey had come full circle in modern times and the company was now prepared to go way back to one of the most important of the Anishnabe stories – The Lessons of Kahela.
The first opportunity to tell this story was graciously presented at the opening of the Prismatic Conference in Halifax, co- hosted with One Light Theatre. This gathering of Aboriginal and Culturally Diverse artists were coming together to discuss and explore art forms, artistic practices and their impacts. The Global Savages emerged for the first time at Dalhousie University on October 15, 2010. This was a first connection with an audience, as modern Anishnabe storytellers and a story, specifically created to facilitate the sharing of perspectives from an Indigenous point of view.
A special feature of Anishnabe storytelling, is that some stories can change to better suit and better connect with the understanding within the audience of listeners. Others are to remain strictly verbatim. The Global Savages are now gathering the individual stories of the Woodlands Anishnabe  people, to share with a broader audience….this is who we are, this is where we are from. In the lessons of Kahela, the storytellers take us to an understanding of the beginning of Anishnabe stories and the balance we can strike for ourselves, within our families and communities and ultimately around the world – based on an Anishnabe worldview.
Our next opportunity to have The Global Savages tell their story was at The Talking Stick Festival in Vancouver in February 2011.  The story was explored, expanded, contracted and considered from the perspective of the listeners in Vancouver. Finally, at the end of our Spring season, we have prepared again to speak to the listeners in Rotterdam at the International Community Art Festival at the Zuidpin Theatre in Rotterdam on April1st, 2011.  The group will be performing for an International audience of artists and community art practitioners, with an advance workshop on March 31st.

GLOBAL SAVAGES

Creative Backgrounder
As Indigenous people of North America, the Anishinaabeg have been given many names by outsiders – Indian, Redskin, Native People, First People, Indigenous, etc. But for hundreds of years, the common term used in both English and French, by both church and state, was savage. The savages. People who lived in the wilderness, wore few clothes, knew nothing of the one true God, did not know how to build permanent homes, could neither read nor write, and did not seem to want to better their own conditions. Savages. This word clearly defined the original inhabitants as being uncivilized in the hearts and minds of generations of outsiders who grew increasingly interested in the New World.

Of course the New World was only new to those who weren't from there. For the rest, the New World had been the home of their ancestral people for more than 18,000 years. It is called Turtle Island, or more popularly, North America. But with no visible signs of being civilized in the eyes of the newcomers, how could they possibly have known that these savages had not only survived but often thrived, for more than 18,000 years, passing down knowledge and teachings generation after generation through oral storytelling supported by timeless mnemonic devices?

Unfortunately the traditional knowledge of the savages, (who have always preferred the name they use for themselves –  in our territory the Ojibway word 'Anishinaabeg' meaning 'the people') - has never been of interest to the civilized world – except as oral folklore. Non-literary societies are easily regarded as illiterate societies, and illiterate equates to uncivilized. There is a misunderstanding about oral traditions. By definition, they are not written. By nature, they change with the context of each telling – why those particular people gathered together at that time, in that place, under those conditions, to hear a story - while upholding traditional teachings.

Civilized man still expects the savages to commit their knowledge to text so that it can be analyzed, evaluated and either substantiated or dismissed. But the Anishinaabeg know that even knowledge is organic and ever-changing, relevant for a moment in time. Only truth is constant. Oral transference has worked for 18,000 years for a reason. And in that time, a great deal of experience that can contribute to the preservation of humanity has been acquired. There are a hundred thousand stories, and they will not be written down.

Upholding the traditions of their ancestors, a small band of savages have dedicated their lives to oral storytelling. This has required years and years of listening. Breaking with tradition, they are leaving Turtle Island to cross the ocean and share their stories with the Old World. They do this to honour their ancestors, and to try and preserve Mother Earth for their descendants. There is only one earth, according to both oral and literary traditions. The Nobel Savage has become the Global Savage.

GLOBAL SAVAGES

The Story
Giiizhigo Kwe (Sky Woman) and three of her ten sons – Debajehmud (Storyteller) Maudjeekawis (Record Keeper) and Chibiabos (Musician) - have been traveling Turtle Island for 18,000 years. Their father was the West Wind, and within their bodies they contain the history of the Anishinaabeg people. They travel light – their hides and furs barely changed over thousands of years – something added here, something worn out there. They travel on foot pulling a simple travois adapted for concrete, and containing their few possessions – a pot for tea, some medicines for health, ceremony and protection, some items for trade.

The Global Savages are on a constant search for three things:
1.  Fresh drinking water
2.  People who will listen to their stories
3.  Pukawiss (Dancer)son of Sky Woman exiled thousands of years ago by his brothers

They have been given good council by an elder whose ancestor was taken in a great wooden canoe across the big water to delight the King of England. His advise to the Global Savages, was to find the centre of each village whereupon a great fountain would be located, that would provide fresh water and a safe gathering place from which to tell their stories to the people. Their brother Pukawiss would also need water, so they may very well find him at one of these fountains as well.

And so the journey of the Global Savages continues, sharing stories in response to their experience of the world around them and the people they meet. They are a gentle, generous, and happy group, other than the occasional sibling rivalry – which is to be expected from a family traveling together for several millennia.

Global Savages performance takes two forms:

1) Responding to the environment around them with short stories/teachings/Improv, drawing attention to anything that helps explicate the unique world view they hold as Anishinaabeg people.
2) Approx 60 minute storytelling performance centering on “The Lessons of Kahila”. This story is the foundation of the teachings and the core message of the Global Savages

GLOBAL SAVAGES    Developed and Produced by Debajehmujig - Storytellers

Brief Artist Biography

About Bruce Naokwegijig
Bruce has been featured in Debajehmujig professional productions and has directed several custom shows since the inception of The Best Medicine Troupe in 1994.  He established himself in sound design through his work on Biidaasigekwe – Sunlight Woman, 2006, Jiiz Ghizhigat- Turnip Day 2008, and several one act pieces during the Searching for the Trickster in the 21st Century Festival in 2009. 

Bruce is also one of the founding members of The Best Medicine Troupe and Director of Embodiment for both the professional main stage work and custom creation work. Bruce was a lead artist and director for the company’s three year collective multi disciplinary project for emerging artists - Tauqsiijiit – the people who exchange objects and ideas, 2004 – 2006. He has developed youth engagement projects in short film with Indigenous Culture and Media Innovations, and continues to apply his skills to new mediums, forms and methodologies.

Bruce is an Anishinaabe and a member of the Wikwemikong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, in Northern Ontario, Canada

About Joe Osawabine
Joe became Artistic Director in 2004, after more than a dozen years of working experience with the Debajehmujig. Joe has performed in over 30 productions, directed twelve original creations including The Indian Affairs in 2005, Sinew to Sequins 2009, and Our Relations 2010. This year in addition to his role as actor, he is director and co-writer of An Honour Story.  Joe was one of the original members of The Best Medicine Troupe, an outreach division of Debajehmujig that was developed in 1994 in tandem with The Manitoulin Incident, and was one of the early contributors to The Four Directions Creation Process developed during the millennium project - New World Brave - in 2000.  Joe is a proud member of the Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve.

“From twenty thousand years ago, to the present, we have come far and there is still a journey ahead of us. But we Anishnaabe are now and have always been resilient. From tragedy comes revelation. We know the source of our strength. It is our time to pick up the gifts left for us, value them, live them and make them accessible for our children. Our cultural advocates, educators and language teachers preserved and fought to maintain the culture for our collective future, so that we would take up the task and advance it as best we can, not only for ourselves, but for those that follow us.”

Joe is an Anishinaabe and a member of the Wikwemikong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, in Northern Ontario Canada

About Josh Peltier
Josh Peltier is an established visual artist from Wikwemikong. He graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design in 2003 and is currently working for Debajehmujig as a full time animator, providing mentorship in the Art Studio Program, and programming for exhibitions in the KB Reynolds Mastin Gallery at The Debajehmujig Creation Centre. Josh has curated a number of exhibitions in the last few years.


After moving home in 2006 to join the Animator Program as an Intern, Josh became the head of the Art Department in 2008. He made his directing debut with Arthur and Agnes in the 2009 Searching for the Trickster in the 21st Century Festival and directed his first collective creation with Re-Connect (2010). Josh has appeared in several past main stage productions, including The Indian Affairs in 2005, Biidaassigekwe - Sunlight Woman in 2006, The Gulch 2007, Jiiz Ghizhigat - Turnip Day in 2008, and provided Art Direction for How The Raven Got its Name and The Three Tricksters in 2009. 

Josh is an Anishinaabe and a member of the Wikwemikong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, in Northern Ontario, Canada

About Jessica Wilde Peltier
Jessica is a recent graduate of the Debajehmujig National Aboriginal Arts Animator Program and is now a full time Arts Animator and Director with the company.  She has collaborated on several collective creation works including, The Art of Living (2006) - a collaborative creation with the University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus Theatre Program and Studio Ypsilon in the Czech Republic; Debajehmujig’s main stage productions including Biidaasigekwe - Sunlight Woman (2006), Norval: A Born Artist (2008), Jiis Ghiizhigat – Turnip Day (2008), Three Tricksters and How the Raven Got It’s Name and Colour (2009).

Jessica also contributed to Walls of Sorrow/Walls of Hope, a collaborative installation project with the Art Gallery of Ontario, Sketch and Toronto City Hall (2009).  Jessica made her directorial debut with the hit one act play Wireless Wisdom for Debajehmujig’s 2009 Trickster Festival. Most recently, Jessica directed the 2010 Theatre for Young Audience production of The Descending Star, and performed in lead roles in both Thunderers and Water Monsters – Amazing but True Stories, and An Honour Story.

Jessica Wilde-Peltier is an Anishinaabe Kwe Ojibway from Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, now residing on the Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve.

About Ron Berti
Ron arrived at Debajehmujig in May of 1993 after winding down a successful career as a film maker, distinguishing himself in the music video genre throughout the 1980’s as an innovative director and editor, and recognized with numerous industry awards including a Juno Award for Best Music Video Director, a Gemini Award for Best Technical Achievement in Film/Television, a Casby Award for Best Editor, and an American Art Directors Club Award for art direction of Corey Hart’s Sunglasses at Night

Ron first found out about Debajehmujig through Wabnode Institute at Cambrian College while studying Ojibway Language, by answering a job posting for the position of General Manager. After building his career in the studios of Toronto and Montreal, the invitation to work with an Aboriginal theatre company on a reserve, on an Island in Northern Ontario was a captivating concept that he was unable to resist.

During his 18 years with Debajehmujig, Ron has mentored a team of creative artists that has resulted in the emergence of artistic leaders including Joe Osawabine, Bruce Naokwegijig, Josh Peltier, Bill Shawanda and many others. At the same time, he has guided the company throughout its development from a condemned nursery school and a 60’ trailer, to its new home - The Debajehmujig Creation Centre in Manitowaning.