Good Morning friends
On Friday evenings in July and August, dances and
accompanying songs are performed by the 'Ksan, or Gitxsan, in the Indian
Village in Hazelton, British Columbia, Canada.
They are generally a celebration of the important things of
life, such as breathing and being at one with the cosmos.
The dances are said to go back to pre-history; they were
revived in 1958, and the 'Ksan dancers have since performed in New York City,
San Francisco, Seattle, Kansas City, Missouri, and even Australia.
Songs, besides being about cosmic events, are sometimes
songs of marriage, songs of divorce, or what are known as "happy heart
songs" about almost anything.
Because the homeland of the Git 'Ksan is far inland, it was
overlooked by the Spaniards and Russians who explored the coast in the 1700s,
and fur traders didn't stay here because the climate is too humid for good fur.
As a result, the 'Ksan culture has been maintained without
outside influences.
Have a great long weekend.
Kam
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