STONEY NAKODA – The Three Wise Men are reimagined as the four directions of the medicine wheel in A Stoney Christmas, an annual holiday performance weaving Indigenous culture and tradition with the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Instead of gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, the Prince of Peace is bestowed with four offerings when Wakâ (the Creator) sends an angel to characters representing the North, East, South and West quadrants of the medicine wheel.
This year marks the Smalleyes family’s sixth consecutive staging of the performance at artsPlace since 2017 – excluding 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Director and matriarch of the family, Samantha Smalleyes, said the production was born out of a want to share knowledge of the Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation’s culture, the family’s love for powwow dance, and to carry on tradition.
“We love teaching other people about our culture,” she said. “Back in 2016, my husband [Harrum] was talking about coming up with a show at Christmas. All our kids are dancers, and so are my husband and myself.”
After bestowing baby Jesus with offerings of a birdhouse, star blanket, dreamcatcher and a drum – inspired by the Little Drummer Boy – each character performs a traditional, grass, fancy, chicken or jingle dance for the newborn under a starry night sky at Mary and Joseph’s camp.
The show casts seven of Smalleyes’ sons and daughters, along with other members of the family including aunts, uncles and cousins. The family also produces the show with their own narration and music, mixed by eldest daughter Jeanesa, with each individual lending their expertise to different areas of production.
The performance has adapted over the years through collaborative efforts with members of the Whyte Museum and Exshaw School, where it was originally performed in 2016.
Each dancer is adorned with the intricate designs and beadwork of Smalleyes’, who handcrafts the regalia used in the show, assisted by her cousin, Marika Twoyoungmen.
Scenes are set with drumming and the soft hums of the native flute, played by Harrum, paired with the Stoney singing voices of Smalleyes’ son-in-law Lane Mark and cousin, Marcus Poucette; narrated by Lewis Twoyoungmen.
The performance has become an important tradition at artsPlace’s and in the Bow Valley community, said programs director Nicole Fougère.
“One thing I really like about it is that the design and concept of the show comes from the Smalleyes’ family and what is in their hearts to share,” she said.
“I know that the Smalleyes family has a multi-generational history of hosting cultural gatherings around this time of years that goes back two generations. So, for them, this performance carries on a family tradition from long ago.”
Most years, the family also hosts a Christmas Jamboree in Mînî Thnî, in addition to a holiday round dance, held in honour of Smalleyes' late father. However, Smalleyes said they will not be hosting the jamboree this year due to planning conflicts.
“We just look at Christmas as an event that needs to be seen as celebrated by different cultures,” she said.
“My late father, Leslie (Bill) Wesley, always said, ‘Never look at other people as different, because we’re all human.’ We’re not the type of people that make people feel bad – we try and do our best as Stoney people and those in my family, to make others feel comfortable and teach them about our culture.”
A Stoney Christmas takes over the stage at artsPlace Saturday (Dec. 17) and Saturday (Dec. 18) at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.
The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. The position covers Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation and Kananaskis Country.
