The 11th Annual ‘Ut’loo Noye Khnni ~ Weaving Words Celebration will take place at UNBC and other locations in Prince George beginning today and running through Friday.
The event celebrates Aboriginal writers and storytellers and this year features three visiting guest speakers: Lee Maracle, Monique Gray Smith and Garry Gottfriedson.
The ‘Ut’loo Noye Khunni ~ Weaving Words Celebration is an annual festival designed to showcase the talents of Aboriginal writers and storytellers while engaging participants to explore and appreciate the importance of oral and written literacy.
The festival plays host to published and non-published authors, poets, and storytellers of all kinds from across Canada.
Orality and storytelling are vital elements of Aboriginal culture and tradition and through the Weaving Words Celebration, we strive to encourage and advocate for the use of stories, both oral and written, to make advancements the areas of literacy, education, history, and culture for Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal members of our community.
Lee Maracle is a member of the Sto:Loh and has published works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. She works the University of Toronto as the Mentor for Aboriginal Studies.
Monique Gray Smith is an author and entrepreneur of Cree, Lakota and Scottish ancestry. Her Victoria-based company Little Drum Consulting is an Aboriginal owned and operated business that provides writing, facilitation and consulting services to Aboriginal communities and organizations.
Garry Gottfriedson is a member of the Secwepemc Nation. He has published works of poetry and children’s literature and works as a self-employed rancher living in Kamloops.
