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Reawakening Hul’q’umin’um’, Nuu-chah-nulth and Kwak’wala Languages
January 30, 2024Dr. Laura Cranmer of ‘Namgis and Haida descent, an Indian hospital and residential school survivor, wrote “Scenes from the Nanaimo Indian Hospital” based on her three-year stay at the hospital as a young child. In this applied theatre research project, we pose the question:
“How does an applied theatre research process (told through Hul’q’umin’um’, Nuu-chah-nulth and Kwak’wala) advance language reawakening for the actors, audience members, and the researchers?”
In this staged reading, the Nanaimo Indian Hospital is re-imagined to be the confluence of the Island’s great linguistic diversity embodied by the three young girls—Dorothy Myth representing Kwak’wala, Esther Williams representing Hul’q’umin’um’, and Mary Robins representing Nuu-chah-nulth—whose growing friendship in Ward B consists of delight in language comparisons while sinister medical undercurrents are revealed in the dialogue and action between the medical staff.
Warning: Mature content. Mental health support workers will be available for survivors & audience members. Post-show talk in the theatre. Note: the post-show talk will be transcribed for research and education purposes.