As a symbol of creation and wisdom, the turtle is a natural character to introduce young audiences to First Nations cultures. In La Plume et la Tortue (The Feather and the Turtle), Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain (OM) accompanies selected stories from a collection published by Wendake-based Indigenous publisher Éditions Hannenorak.
Wolastoqey director Dave Jenniss, who served as artistic director of francophone Indigenous theatre company Ondinnok from 2017 until recently, was asked to develop the family show two years ago. The central tale revolves around a clever turtle who takes a magical eagle feather, which grants both the power and responsibility to pass down stories.
“The project is drawing inspiration from this collection to create accessible poetic stories around the themes of courage, transmission of oral traditions, and collective memory,” Jenniss told the Nation. “We have a long oral tradition and this show is proof that we can share our stories and memories for a long time.”
Working with an orchestra was a new experience for Jenniss, who had only one rehearsal with the entire group before the performance at Montreal’s Maison Symphonique on February 22. After two school matinees offered the following day there are currently no further shows planned.
The Nation attended the premiere along with two children aged between 8 and 12, the target market recommended by OM. The young audience was captivated by the hour-long show, featuring only teenaged Innu and Anishinabe actress Emma Rankin and the turtle puppet, brought to life by Innu actor René Rousseau.
The orchestra is an integral element, prominent throughout the story as the actors wander between musicians on stage, with a little fort even constructed under the piano. Portraying the “Council of Animals”, some orchestra members hold animal masks and utter sounds at certain cues.
Jenniss worked with OM conductor Thomas Le Duc-Moreau to find music aligned with the legends, including selections from Anishinaabe composer Barbara Assiginaak and Métis composers T. Patrick Carrabré and Karen Sunabacka. Assiginaak said she’s “deeply grateful” that her work Eko-Bmijwang is used in this context.
“I imagined this short work as a journey through a dream-memory of time, beginning with a canoe entering the calm waters in thick fog just under the light of Nokomis [Grandmother Moon],” said Assiginaak. “Soon, with the coming dawn, the mists rise and the waters dance under the light of Giizis [Grandfather Sun] and enliven those many creatures who dwell within and around.”
Assiginaak envisions this music as a reminder to protect the waters for future generations of living beings. It’s a fitting accompaniment for these tales, which teach respect for Mother Earth and ancestral languages.
In the hour before the show, multidisciplinary artist Aïcha Bastien N’Diaye narrated 11 Tales of the Turtle, which is available on Télé-Québec’s website. These include the story of Pieshish, the Eeyou musician who ventures to the heart of the Earth, the Inuit origin of fog, and the seven Kanien’kehà:ka dancers who became stars.
“It’s important to tell the young generation that our ancestors telling our stories is the reason we exist,” said Rousseau, who exudes wisdom, compassion and humour as the Turtle. “Our power comes from the memory and stories we tell. It’s important for us to talk about us, to tell the people who we are – laughing and imagining.”
Rousseau and Rankin bring playful energy, making full use of the stage to tell stories that are given colour and flight by the majestic soundtrack. Rankin forms an immediate connection with the children watching, imbuing her portrayal with wonder.
“The ambience of it all for the kids, the songs and the decorations, is really dreamy,” Rankin expressed. “It really makes me proud. A big door is opening for Indigenous artists and it’s exciting to see that.”
Integrating narration with music and lighting, Jenniss sets a meditative pace that allows audiences to gently absorb the words and emotions. He hopes La Plume et la Tortue stirs conversations among the whole family on their way home.
“Audiences receive your truth,” said Jenniss. “It’s the key to my work. Sometimes I repeat this to my actors, please stay true on stage. This project is completely different in its approach to the way I work – it’s fabulous to make music with the orchestra and Aboriginal legends.”
As a prolific actor, director, playwright and screenwriter for over 20 years, Jenniss’ plays explore identity, cultural transmission and Indigenous spirituality. With Ondinnok, he was the first to introduce Indigenous children’s theatre to Quebec.
Founded in 1985, Ondinnok is the first francophone Indigenous theatre company in Canada, named after a Wendat word meaning “a theatrical healing ritual that reveals the secrets of the soul.” To celebrate its 40th anniversary, Jenniss brought together creators from other Indigenous theatre companies to produce Tupqan, which opens March 4.
Jenniss said his script, written with colleague Xavier Huard, “talks about the wampum that’s inside everyone,” drawing on political thriller elements to explore how collective histories can help understand the present. He called it “a mélange of poetry with dreams.”
“The main character Polam reconstructs his own wampum, whose beads had been scattered, re-establishing the lost link with his family,” explained director Soleil Launière. “We want the audience to feel that they too are beads on a common thread, and that together we participate in the construction of this collective wampum.”
She’s well-known for her award-winning music, but Launière’s theatre roots run deep. She launched Auen Productions in 2019, and her play Akuteu was a Governor General’s Award nominee. Ahead of directing Tupqan, she’s directing her own play, Pakuneu.
“Ondinnok paved the path for us and now there are four Indigenous companies in Montreal,” Launière remarked. “Coming together as a community can make such strong work. There are many generations of non-actors and experienced actors on stage together, supporting and elevating each other. There’s no hierarchy – that’s anti-colonial.”