Indigenous artists in the spotlight at NAC's Canada Scene festival

Indigenous musicians, actors, artists, dancers and filmmakers will be in the spotlight at the National Arts Centre's major multidisciplinary Canada Scene festival this spring and summer.

The festival will feature more than 1,000 artists performing in more than 100 events from June 15-July 23 at the NAC and other venues across Ottawa and Gatineau.

Indigenous artists will headline many of the shows on the bill indisciplines including music, film, theatre, dance, and visual and media arts.

"It's empowering. It's exciting," said singer-songwriter IsKw, who performed to open thefestival announcement at the NAC Tuesday."There's a lot of strong, strong, powerful people that represent Indigenous arts, and I think it's important to have those voices be present, and I think it's about time."

The Cree-Denevocalist, originally from Manitoba, is part of a Canada Scene showcase of Indigenous women musicians calledAnishinabekweon July 22.

Curated by ShoShonaKishof the roots-rock bandDigging Roots, the concert also features Polaris Prize-winningInuk throat singer Tanya TagaqandMtissinger-songwriter Amanda Rheaume, and more.

"We're going tohave six real powerhouse women on the stage," said Canada Scene producer and executive director Heather Moore.

Theatre, film, visual arts

Moore saidprogramming strong Indigenous components foreach discipline was an important goalof this year's festival, which is triplethe length of past NAC Scene festivals and coincides with Canada 150 events.

Reconciliation will never happen until there's active listening on the other end.-IsKw, singer-songwriter

"There are a number of artists in the Scene that we've intentionally programmed because they're provoking us. They have interesting questions, and tough questions that they're asking with their work, and I want people to experience all of that," she added.

Taken is another music event highlighting Indigenousartists and their work. The June 17 concert features Jeremy Dutcher, Lindsay "Eekwol" Knightand Andrew Balfour performing on the theme of being "taken."

Legendary singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Mariewill also play a concert on July 3 in the festival lineup with special guest LeelaGilday.

Canada Scene theatre events by Indigenous artists includeMaking of Treaty 7, a show that explores the making of modern southern Alberta (June 20), andKiviuqReturns, the story of a legendary Inuit hero performed entirely in Inuktitut(July 21-22).

Film showcase A Nation of Nations will show 10 short works by Indigenous filmmakers on June 19, and a visual and mediaarts exhibition called #callresponsehighlights the work of Indigenous women on June 16.

Art crucial to reconciliation

Moore calledthe entire Canada Scene festival "an opportunity for people to learn about their country through artists' stories."

IsKw believes having a strong Indigenous presence in the festival will help start some important conversations about Canadian history and the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

"When we think of reconciliation, and we have these chats of reconciliation because that's the time that we're in right now it's not a one-sided conversation," she said.