The Gift

“My name is John Aitken; I did not speak until I was eighteen”

Truth and healing in Canada’s First Nations are vast and vital topics explored through a highly personal lens in Coast Salish artist John Aitken’s “the Gift”.

“I am the product of childhood trauma and abuse. I survived by being as invisible as I could and not speaking until I was eighteen years old. I struggled throughout my childhood as a “dirty little indian” in a rural white community”, says the Mayne Island artist.

John Aitken tells his story of survival, personal resilience and reconciliation as he lived his childhood, nonverbally, through the performance of “the Gift”, utilizing dance/movement, physical acting, vocalization, drumming and singing. Sharing the stage with Aitken is acclaimed actor/director and filmmaker, Shelley MacDonald of North Vancouver.

John Aitken and award winning animation filmmaker, Gail Noonan, developed this performance art piece over three years on Mayne Island. Aitken and MacDonald weave the story using a series of dream-like events drawing on First Nations and European Iconography and archetypes. The story takes the audience through the emotions of love and tenderness to fear, terror and loss, then finally to hope, joy and celebration which culminates in John receiving “the Gift” of his voice.

Aitken and MacDonald are part of a national movement of First Nations actors, musicians, artists and film-makers utilizing the arts to move through the trauma and history of systemic racism and abuse into healing and creating a pathway towards reconciliation.

An artist, activist, dancer, actor, filmmaker, educator and storyteller, Aitken uses many mediums to advance the opportunity for intercultural dialogue. All performances of “the Gift” conclude with a talking circle, where audience members are invited to stay and participate in the safe, structured environment to share their observations and discuss the emotions raised during the performance.