Indigenous youth to take the stage for 10th annual Native Youth Theatre cabaret show

Indigenous youth are getting ready to take the stage Sunday afternoon for the 10th annual Native Youth Theatre cabaret show.

The free theatre program, which first launched in 2014 at the Manitoba Theatre for Young People, gives youth the chance to tap into their creativity, learn more about the performing arts and reconnect with their culture.

This year, three of the theatre classes will be coming together on stage to perform a three act play that focuses on one of the seven sacred teachings.

"Our play 'Oshki & Migizi and Living the Good Life' is based around the Eagle teaching of the seven teachings of love," said Nova Courchene, the show's co-director.

About 45 youth ages eight to 18 will be performing during the 1 p.m. cabaret show at the Manitoba Youth Theatre Centre at The Forks.

It marks the end of months of programming and rehearsals, which began in October last year.

"It's really important that we keep bringing ceremony and culture and language into theatre to help our kids reconnect," Courchene said.

"A lot of our kids are urban Indigenous, which means they may not have the same access to ceremony and traditional ways of life in the city."

Sunday's show also highlights the concept of seven generations how it's important to take care of the earth for generations ahead, Courchene said.

"When we are stewards to the land and when we take care of each other, seven generations after us are taken care of as well. We're thinking that far ahead into the future," she said.

Jayden James, 14, said he's feeling nervous ahead of Sunday's performance, which will be his first with the group.

He said he enjoyed the classes, since "not just us but the younger kids are learning about their [culture] and the language, too."

"I haven't had that chance to learn about that until I was older," he said.

Courchene said a lot of the youth take drama classes at their schools and have been doing a good job of balancing the workload.

"I'm confident they'll do well," she said. "A lot of them are happy, nervous, excited."