The first annual Indigenous Festival of the Arts got off to a great start last Thursday with all seats to the 7 p.m. show sold out.
The show was accompanied by an art exhibit featuring various works of art by a number of local First Nations artists as well as Lakes District Secondary School (LDSS) students and the school's art teacher Steve Wilejto.
The art exhibit features drums, painted paddles, traditional masks and paintings.
One of the event's organizers, LDSS drama teacher Rayanne Charlie said the festival was off to a great start.
Charlie said that while there would be some minor adjustments to be made for next year, over all she felt the first annual festival was a success.
"The evening show went really late and this had a little to do with starting on time," she said.
She also said that it took a little bit of time to get the audience seated due to the numbered seating, but that people loved being shown to their seats.
"We had numbered seats and ushers who all looked really great. They were so excited and so proud," said Charlie.
She went on to say that the whole school felt good about the event.
"We had a really strong team to help put the festival together," she added.
CBC television were also filming throughout the entire festival and Charlie said it was a challenge to have them there during the entire show.
"It was scary, they were a good bunch and they said to me they were blown away by the quality of what we did," Charlie added.
"The kids felt proud of what we had accomplished and by the end of the night they didn't want to go home, they were all hanging around, getting autographs, chatting and having fun," she said.
Charlie also said she was happy to see the role modeling that went on behind the scenes.
"Jonah Paull was picked up by [comedian] Howie Miller, it was great to see and I was so happy, there were little moments like this all throughout the festival," Charlie said.
The group put on two shows, one during the day for the students and a night show for the general public.
"By the end of the day I was exhausted, it was a massive day," she added.
The students and teachers of LDSS all pitched for the clean up the next day.
"It was magical and the school was spic and span by mid morning, it's great how the whole school pitches in," Charlie said.
A big drawing card to the event for the many attending teenage girls was actor Tyson Houseman who plays wolf pack member Quil Ateara in the Twilight series.
Houseman was accompanied to the event by his father, stand up comedian Howie Miller who performed a comedy routine.
Both Miller and Houseman are Cree. Houseman lives in Vancouver and is currently filming the Twilight series movie Breaking Dawn which is due to be released in November 2011.
Other performances included an awe inspiring drum solo from local musician Julian Brown, who is a member of the Burns Lake death thrash metal band Primal Stance, Paul Michel an Aboriginal storyteller from the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), Johnnie Pahl from local band Acoustics Anonymous and his musician son, Jeremy Pahl, UNBC student and past local resident Spencer Greening, guitar player and singer Laticia Johnson, from Hazelton, local resident and dancer Shahayla Johnson, the LDSS Smoke Signals cast including Tyler Sam, Darien Petit and Kyle Luggi, local guitar player Michael Bevan and Lake Babine Nation singer/songwriter and musician Joel West as well as LDSS student Tanis Bjarnason who performed a dance routine.
The event MC's were Cheslatta Carrier Nation Chief Corrina Leween and Mike Robertson, Cheslatta Carrier Nation's senior policy advisor.
The festival was organized as an annual event in which First Nations art, culture, food, dance, music and stories can be shared with the community.
Charlie added, "I am so happy it went so well, it was a successful first time."