'before7after' is currently being researched and developed and spans the personal and historical lives of seven generations of Cree women from the Moose Cree First Nation in Northern Ontario. It will weave together their stories as seen through the eyes of their grand-daughter and be presented as a multi-media performance including dance, mask-work, film footage and an original soundscore.
Artist statement: (Starr Muranko) "This concept of seven generations reflects the worldview of Aboriginal people in the sense that all of the decision-making is always for the next seven generations and so I would like this to be reflected by being the “7th Generation” grand-daughter and looking back through time at the wisdom teachings of my Ancestors while also looking forward ahead seven generations to see what I would like to leave for future generations that will come after me.
My vision for this piece is to include both the personal stories of these women and the historical context in which they lived which includes the influence of the Hudson Bay Trading Company on Moose Factory Island, the signing of Treaty No. 9 in 1905 by my Great-Great-Grandfather Reverend Fred Mark (of St. Thomas Anglican Church who later went on to become the first Chief of Moose Factory after the treaty was signed) as well as the research done by Professor John Long of Nipissing University into the family history of my Grandmother and her brother Fred Moore."
This work will be presented in the Spring of 2010 in Vancouver, BC and will build on material developed for Nookum: My Grandma which was presented in Vancouver in October 2008 and again in June 2009.