Festival

Dań Kwanje ’Á–Nààn: Voices Across the Water was a remarkable traditional watercraft festival held in the summer of 2017 on the riverfront in Whitehorse. Teams of master and apprentice boatbuilders constructed four watercraft ~ a moose skin boat, birch bark canoe, dugout canoe and quyaq ~ for Canada’s 150th anniversary. 

For countless generations the Indigenous peoples of the North have used the resources of their rugged homeland for food, shelter, clothing, tools, inspiration and meaning, always passing on knowledge to descendants. People adapted in each place to camp, hunt, fish and gather materials for every need. Teslin Elder Virginia Smarch said her old people were “part of the land and part of the water.” Their life ways were self-sufficient and sustainable over thousands of years.

In this vast land of long winters and short summers, travel was essential. The ancestors were curious, ingenious and industrious - finding materials, experimenting with designs and honing their skills to build transport for food and families across ocean waters, fast flowing rivers and deep lakes.

These cultures were overtaken by colonization in the centuries following first contact with newcomers. They persevered in reclaiming their lands, autonomy and cultures. Resilient and resourceful Elders survived tough times, preserving languages and cultures. Today 11 of 14 Yukon First Nations are self-governing, exploring new pathways to sustainable prosperity.

Dań Kwanje ’Á–Nààn: Voices Across the Water carries messages for all of us and for people around the world. We have only to listen, to learn and to share in this time of reconciliation – moving forward together safely into the waters of tomorrow. 

The NFB-Sagafish Media feature-length documentary Voices Across the Water was born at this festival, where Halin and Wayne each spent weeks building their canoes in a public outdoor venue. In the years following the gathering, director Fritz Mueller visited both men regularly as they continued their work, exploring who they are as visual artists, what motivates them, and the intricacies of their craft. During filming of Voices Across the Water, Halin made three birchbark canoes and Wayne built two dugouts.