LUMINATO: The International Year of Indigenous Languages
June 7-23, 2019
Various location
Celebrate with Luminato. Language plays a huge role in our daily lives; not only as a tool to communicate with each other, but as a way to connect with our cultural history, traditions, and memory. Despite its importance, one-third of the world’s languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers left and 50-90% of languages around the world are predicted to become extinct in the next century*. To raise awareness on this issue, the United Nations declared 2019 The Year of Indigenous Languages (#IY2019).
Indigenous languages matter for development, peacebuilding, and reconciliation.
-The International Year of Indigenous Languages
This year at Luminato, we present works that raise awareness of the global crisis Indigenous languages face and hope to inspire all people to take action by supporting indigenous language speakers.
Kiinalik: These Sharp Tools
June 12 – 16 | Berkeley Street Theatre, Downstairs
Inuk artist Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory generously shares her language, stories, and uajeerneq (Greenlandic mask dancing) in Kiinalik: These Sharp Tools —an astounding and challenging multi-media performance that urges the audience to chase any opportunity to learn from one another.
In the Inuktitut language, when a knife is dull, it is said to “have no face”.
The word Kiinalik translates to mean the knife is sharp – or, “it has a face”.
BIZIINDAN!
June 14 | Koerner Hall
Inspired by the surge of the Indigenous global revolution, BIZIINDAN! features some of the diverse voices at the forefront of this movement: Marie Gaudet, Digging Roots, Lido Pimienta, Pura Fé, and Jeremy Dutcher. The relentless activism of these artists reflects their determination to make a change.
Biziindan’ means ‘listen or listen to’ in Anishinaabemowin, the language of the Anishinaabeg (Ojibwe peoples). Supported by Slaight Music.
Maada’ookii Songlines
June 23 | Harbourfront Centre, Lakeside | FREE
Composed by Cree cellist Cris Derksen, Maada’ookii Songlines braids together 200 voices from 8 diverse choirs in this massive musical experience. A free event on Toronto’s waterfront, Maada’ookii Songlines reminds us that no matter what our backgrounds may be, we all come from the stars.
Maada’ookii is an Ojibway word, with several slightly different meanings. It is a genderless word. He/she distributes something; he/she gifts something; he/she shares something with others. Songlines in cross-Indigenous tradition are songs that help to find the way.
Luminato is Toronto’s international festival of arts and ideas, dedicated to programming that cuts across traditional artform boundaries. The 2019 festival takes place on June 7-23.