Pawâkan
A Cree Takeover of Macbeth by Reneltta Arluk
Inspired by the youth of Frog Lake First Nation, Treaty 6 Territory
Pawâkan is Reneltta Arluk’s groundbreaking reimagining of Shakespeare’s darkest play, Macbeth, into Cree history, legend and cosmology.
““We Cree have a legend of the Wihtiko; it is an evil being with an insatiable hunger. The more it eats, the hungrier and bigger it gets. The students always draw a comparison between the Wihtiko and Macbeth. Macbeth relates to many themes that are prevalent in Cree legends: greed, loyalty, love, horror, and balance.””
““Pawâkan is a dream spirit that comes to you during your rite of passage. I see it as a guide that reveals itself in its time of need. Wihtiko can come to you as your Pawâkan and it needs to be rejected. I ask, what happens when it arrives and takes you when you are most vulnerable and willing?””
Photos provided by @stoometzphoto and Marc J Chalifoux Photography
Actors seen are: čačumḥi – aaron wells, JD Montgrand, Lisa Nasson, Spencer Streichert, Mallory Amirault, Mitchell Saddleback, Lancelot Knight, Curtis Peeteetuce, Sophie Merasty, Bruce Sinclair, Allyson Pratt, Mari Chartier, Nathan Loitz
The takeover began with the changing of the names.
Pawâkan is set during pre-colonization, when Plains Cree were allied with Stoney Nakoda and at war with Blackfoot over territory, food, supplies and trade. When true autonomy existed among Indigenous Peoples and with that their spirits, their wisdom, practices, makers, tricksters, shifters, their darkness and light. All the while the Canadian Government were making their way west with Sir John A. MacDonald as its leader. Harsh environments brought immense fear, starvation, and uncertainty together to awaken the darkest of Cree spirits, Wihtiko – a being with insatiable greed. Through the exploration of Plains Cree language, history, stories and cosmology Arluk asks, What is it to be human? What makes a human vulnerable to Wihtiko? Inspired by working with the youth of Frog Lake First Nation in Treaty 6 territory, and shared stories from Elders in the region, Arluk has created a terrifying journey through love, greed, honour and betrayal, with coyote howlers, Wiyôyôwak teaching us that resurgence requires balance.
The concept of Pawâkan was inspired by Frog Lake Elders: Mary Ann Dillon, Rose Dillon, Henry Smith, Raymond Quinney, Cecile Dion, and Cultural Advisor Gary Berland sharing their stories with the Plains Cree youth. With original development of concept by Owen Morris and students of Chief Napeweaw School, some stories in Pawâkan originated from the Frog Lake, Loon Lake, and Onion Lake region on Treaty 6 territory.
Pawâkan has two theatre versions. One is a full length play originally commissioned by The Stratford Festival; which has yet to have a world premiere. There is a 90 minute, no intermission, 6 actor version called The Community Telling of Pawâkan that first embarked on a successful 2020 tour on Treaty 6 territory, bringing professional theatre into Cree communities, some places for the first time. Check out the Pawâkan tour pages to learn more of where The Community Telling of Pawâkan has toured to and will be in the future. Also visit the Protocol and Play page to learn more about the process on the making of Pawâkan.
CanadaHuB Pitch of Community Telling of Pawâkan
Land Acknowledgement
The lands we reside on carry the stories, songs, patterns, and dance of Indigenous Peoples since time immemorial. These ancestral connections exist through language and place. Akpik Theatre acknowledges, as a nomadic company, that we always create on many First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples traditional territories, including our own. Frog Lake First Nation has a strong connection to the language, culture and teachings of Treaty 6 Territory. To have been able to spend time with the students there and develop the integral root of Pawâkan beginnings has inspired dozens of Indigenous communities to learn and tell their own lived histories. Akpik Theatre is in deep gratitude to the community and Elders of Frog Lake to be able to share this story with integrity. Hiy Hiy / Mahsi cho / Quyanainni.
Hiy Hiy to our Supporters
Pawâkan is one of the 201 exceptional projects funded through the Canada Council for the Arts’ New Chapter program.
The playwright gratefully acknowledges the support of The Stratford’s Festival’s 2015 Playwright’s Retreat in the writing of this play.