Madeline Terbasket is adding their unique voice and perspective to the conversation about reconciliation through the arts.
The Penticton, B.C.-based artist is a Syilx, Ho-chunk and Anishinaabe creative that uses song, poetry and humour to put a modern twist on traditional storytelling.
“My mom used to tell me the stories growing up from our nation, Syilx stories which are captikʷł (a collection of teachings) and so I fell in love with those. So I started writing some of my own,” said Terbasket.
“It’s a beautiful thing bringing old stories to modern audiences.”
The Two-Spirit performing artist performs under their own name, as well as ‘Mother Girth’ for their burlesque performances, and as ‘Rez Daddy’ for drag performances.
“So having queer captikʷł it’s really important to me for young people to see that it’s okay to be themselves.”
One of the captikʷł that Terbasket has written is one about a sparrow.
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“The story of the lonely sparrow is about a lesbian sparrow that wants to have a lover and she can’t find one so she asked Creator and Creator says, ‘if you sing my favourite song every day you can,’ so she does and then we learn some lessons along the way like not to assume peoples gender or sexuality,” said Terbasket.
Now, Terbasket is channelling their talent into a one-person show called the ‘Two-Spirit Tease’.
“It’s a variety of storytelling, so I’m going to do my rapping and I’m going to do some poetry and… I’m taking people on a medicine walk through my life as well, so, telling personal stories,” said Terbasket.
Terbasket’s one-person show will debut at the Venables Theatre in Oliver Jan. 14 and will return to the Venables Theatre for a drag show on Jan. 21 as ‘Rez Daddy’. For ticket information visit www.venablestheatre.ca