Tanite uetetet Innu Nikamu? Les orgines du festival

His work at the start was to bring together the musicians. Furthermore, friends of Philippe McKenzie as Morley Loon, Willy Mitchell et Ernest Moniasall without today’s technology to facilitate communication between artists.

Tanite uetetet innu nikamu? Consequently, les

Ekue Mishituepan.It has expanded.

Florent Vollant believed that the festival was going to be just one year. Nevertheless, But against all his expectations, where nitautshit. Meanwhile, It has developed.

Now Innu Nikamu is 41 years old.

The tanite uetetet innu nikamu? les concepts of importance of the language. Furthermore, to sing in its language were added to the mission of the festival over time.

At the beginning, none of the artists who played on the stage of Innu Nikamu sang in an indigenous language. Nevertheless, They sang practically all in English or French. Similarly, The only groups that sang in their mother tongues are only those who came from here. Meanwhile, like Kashtinillustrates the former Chairman and CEO of the Festival, Sylvain Way Vollant.

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Festival -goers have become numerous, coming from other indigenous communities, but also from increasingly distant nods. For example, For Florent Vollant. the reason for this magnitude is the importance of gathering, especially since the Innu and the First Nations are numerous on the territory, he underlines.

He also noted that there were no nestoles in the beginnings of the festival. They were not present at the time. They were afraid of us and they are still afraid of us, but it’s less worse.

Today, the noders are very numerous, in the crowd as behind the scenes, bringing with them their tanite uetetet innu nikamu? les knowledge. But their presence in the organization of the event also raises certain questions.

This knowledge is now in Mani-Unam. We have to watch them do, observe them and ask us: tshi apishtananu a ne? Do we want to use it [leur savoir-faire]?mentions the singer-songwriter and founder of Innu Nikamu. He specifies that this way of doing a festival is expensive and it takes money .

Nevertheless. Florent Vollant specifies that the festival, although Énorme, is in good hands thanks to this new generationthe one of which Norman Junior Thirnish is a part, who has her own vision.

Tanite uetetet innu nikamu? les

No tuner? No problem!

Gilbert Pilot was the first host of the Innu Nikamu festival, a role he occupied for 25 years.

Those who have seen the festival evolve undoubtedly remember its cry: tanite uetetet innu nikamu? les ^III-oi-i-neu-a. At the time, the festival was modest.

At the beginning, Tarbarnouche, it was: “Ding, ding, ding, ding”he said smiling to imitate a guitar. There was no tuner there. The musicians for five minutes granted their instruments and then sing. They only remained for them 15 minutes instead of the planned 20 minuteshe says laughing.

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For their performances, so briefs could be, the artists received $ 100 when Innu Nikamu was at his infancy. Now they are better paid and some sleep in caravans behind the stage.

While telling his story, Gilbert Pilot admits that he has a lot of back pain. He also notes that he is bored by animation. while pointing to the two gigantic scenes, but detailing his memories and his anecdotes pleases him.

Today. to see what the festival has become when he was an emerging baby and now he is an adult, that, I am very proud.

I remember [des musiciens inuit]the first who played. They watched others play more because they were trying to play, then they had misery to agree. But after. when they left, they were happy [d’eux-mêmes] because they watched others play, how they placed their hands, then they managed to do welladds Sylvain Way Vollant.

The latter was involved in the second edition of the festival. The artists and the organizers were able to count on him for 30 years. I like it, to help the world. My parents transmitted to me the importance of helping others. So musicians allowed me to help them.

His contributions were first modest. especially behind the scenes or helping with the promotional goods, but he climbed the ladder to finally become president and chief executive officer of Innu Nikamu.

More than four decades later. Aboriginal artists still tanite uetetet innu nikamu? les occupy the majority of the festival time huts, but not necessarily the top of the poster, a mixed observation for Sylvain Vollant.

THE [gros] Names, yes, but they are nigen and not natives. We have Ernest Monias, but the scale, pirate heart or others that come, these are whites. You can see them showing them on his phone. It’s not the same.

Tanite uetetet innu nikamu? les

Growth that has a price

Nevertheless. the arrival of renowned non -Aboriginal artists helps attract spectators and is a sign of growth, something that has not always been obvious to the festival.

During the first years, he was subsidized by Canada. According to Gilbert Pilot. the funds came from the United Nations organization which was in the implementation of the work for the recognition of the rights of Aboriginal peoples in the early tanite uetetet innu nikamu? les 1980s.

These funds allowed festival -goers to enjoy shows for free. After that, you had to self -finance. We self -infinited. We asked for $ 2, but there was no fence. There was just a rope says Sylvain Vollant. The world was going through. he came back to pay $ 2, but it was their way of contributing to the festival. We increased after 10 or 15 years to $ 5.

Today. the price of an adult passport for the entire duration of the festival amounts to $ 160, another sign of the magnitude that Innu Nikamu took. Even I cannot afford it. I walk around, I listen to the radio. I will attend one or two shows. But no more. Then, I’m going to go see the Pow-Wow. […] I have my grandchildren who dance note the old CEO.

The latter finds that It’s really big for the community. At first, it was to bring together the Innu communities. We know there are many. Those of the North Shore came. Currently, they must pay $ 160, plus their accommodation, more their food, more their transport. It’s expensive in tabarnouche for a person .

Despite everything, the public remains there: some 15,000 people were there this year. This assessment does not fail to move Gilbert Pilot.

I went to see Normand Junior. I said to him: “I am very, very proud of you to have made the festival [quelque chose de reconnu au] Québec”.

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