Laughter Rippled Through the Audience At the April 4th Indigenous Showcase

Laughter and entertainment were in abundance at the April Indigenous Showcase. The crowd enjoyed a screening of the comedy film, Indian Road Trip, as well as the creations of local artisans, Jewelry by Bonnie and Salsational Salsa. The event was a huge success, with many familiar faces adding to the festive atmosphere.

Welcome to The Towne Theatre, where we're standing on new carpets!

The Towne Theatre is a non-profit organization and relies on the generosity of the local community. So, it was fabulous to greet Frank from End Of The Roll Flooring Centres as one of the evening's first guests, as he shared that his company had updated the carpets we were standing on. Thank you, Frank!?

Chelssie Baker , Glohaven Community Hub ’s Indigenous Relations and Content Manager, and the Co-Founder of Shop First Nations fabulously MC’d the April 4th Indigenous Showcase.?

Tickets were drawn for 2 door prize totes kindly sponsored by Tourism Vernon . It was sure fun to see Kristin Froneman and Trevor Jordan attend with the tickets they won from the March showcase!??

The highlighted businesses were Salsational Salsa and Jewelry by Bonnie. Bonnie was joined by her son, Chaz who was an incredible assistant to his Mom!?

SIMPLE Clothing was also supposed to be there but unfortunately, Mel couldn’t make it due to being under the weather, so make sure to check out SIMPLE Clothing online!

A Timely Film for April - Indian Road Trip

April is a month known for laughter, as it starts with April Fool’s Day. So, in the spirit of keeping things lighthearted, Indian Road Trip was screened - a classic road trip comedy filmed in BC. The audience rippled with ‘laugh out loud’ laughter, including seriously hilarious chuckles and snorts. If you missed this screening, look out for it on APTN !?

A Message From the Filmmaker A.W. Hopkins...

“Indian Road Trip is based on my experience as a young man living on an Indian reserve and feeling like it was just about the most boring place on the planet. Every day I would wake up and look at the same twenty houses, the same hundred faces, the same dirt roads and stray dogs. Sometimes I dreamt of nothing but getting out of there. I say, “sometimes” because, on the other hand, the village was nestled among gorgeous blue mountains and on the edge of a deep, glacier-fed lake. There were bears, deer, ducks and salmon, there were endless pine forests, sparkling rivers and alpine meadows. There was also a sense that the spirit world was a natural part of everyday existence, that magic was real, and that the ancestors were always close by.?

Do I stay or do I go? Every young person struggles with the urge to leave the place they know and love - where they grew up. This dilemma is at the heart of the film. Is there someplace better than my home? A place that is more exciting, and with more interesting and exciting people? What thrills lie waiting on the other side of the mountain, out on the highway, or in the big city? And just as importantly; what am I leaving behind??

This quandary is especially relevant for young Indigenous people who are born into isolated reserves and who struggle daily with high employment, lack of opportunity and any number of social injustices. Yet they have a strong connection to their people, their culture and to the land on which their ancestors lived and died.?

Indian Road Trip does not seek to supply easy, uncomplicated answers –– there are none. I just want to tell an original story in a unique setting with vibrant, authentic characters. And I want to do it with emotion and humour. Too many movies, novels and news reporting about First Nation people focus on the pain, the injustice and the victimization. What I remember most about my time on the Rez was the laughter, the friendships, the great storytellers and the unique, even quirky personalities.?

My hope from the opening image to the final credit roll, is first to entertain but also to introduce the audience to a new way of looking at Indigenous people and their lives.”?~ A.W. Hopkins | Writer, Director & Producer | Indian Road Trip

A.W. Hopkins is currently working in Vancouver on exciting new film projects. Follow his film journey on Youtube or Facebook.

We were thrilled to see some familiar faces in the film! Kiri Geen, Angela Case ’s friend from Kiri & The Girl, had a great cameo as Hetta’s Mom.?

Then, Les Marshall, from Salsational Salsa, let us know after the film that his nephew was in the ‘middle of the forest bar scene’ as he shared that they’re both from the Upper Nicola Band where this was filmed!

Familiar Faces were Spotted in Attendance!

Our team was happy to see Ed Nowek , from Planet Bee attend with 7 of his friends! Michael and Angela enjoyed ‘bees-nes’ with Ed years back, and have continued this relationship, now fostered by the Biosphere Committed Company program through the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) , with Planet Bee products highlighted regularly in Glohaven’s Globoxes?.?

Another lovely familiar face was Michele Johnson, who was December's guest speaker from the Syilx Language House . We appreciate Michele, her smile, and her lovely insightful ways of inspiring us to learn the Syilx language. She just finished an incredible graduation ceremony with 15 learners completing 1 year (440 hours immersion) of N?syilx?n?! Congratulations to all the grads for your incredible work!?

An Evening of Comedy, Laughter, and Meaningful Learnings

Film is such an important medium to tell stories, and this film took everyone on a special journey, a road trip of comedy, laughter and also meaningful learnings that any of us can apply to our lives about the power of friendship, trust and family. Sometimes, we all need to go on a trip, stumble a bit, and learn how to pick ourselves up, for personal growth.?

Mark Your Calendars: Don't Miss the Final Indigenous Showcase of this Series!

We invite you to join us for the final Indigenous Showcase event on May 2nd for a powerful live music performance by Auroara Leigh, followed by the feature documentary, Adaawk. Click HERE for tickets.

As a part of Glohaven’s reconciliation efforts, we are humbled to host the Indigenous Showcase as a platform for Indigenous people to share their stories, through their individual ways of expressing them.

These events wouldn't be possible if it weren't for our amazing community. This includes all of the performers, vendors, sponsors, partners, collaborators, and Glohaven employees. We would like to thank all those who took part in the Indigenous Showcase this month for their support!