Native Songs with the Uke

Clarissa and her uke

Like most of the performers at the Adaka Festival in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory June 21-27, I will play a 20-minute set.  I will sing Tlingit songs and my own originals accompanied by my ukelele on Saturday, June 22 at 1:45pm.  Check out the line-up of performers and artists on their website.  The Adaka Festival features traditional and contemporary Canadian 1st Nation performers and artists mainly from Yukon and British Columbia, with an occasional Alaskan(!).

I’ve been playing the uke a little over a year – this tool has become a spiritual/emotional life-saver – in my opinion, if you need to be “saved” in any way, this is the instrument that can help bring you a sense of balance.  I think that if everyone in the world played ukelele, even if they just strummed a few chords every day and didn’t sing, that eventually, the world would have consistent peace!  Yep.

As I mentioned, the Adaka Festival also features artists from the Yukon/British Columbia/Alaska region.  During the Festival week of June 21-27, I will also be teaching an introduction to Chilkat weaving class along side Ann Smith who will be teaching Ravenstail, and Ann and I are  spearheading another Indigenous Weavers’ Gathering .  On Friday, June 21, I will also be a part of a group art exhibit featuring a Chilkat robe I am recently completing, my latest button robes, a contemporary painting, along with a few Giclee prints and my button blanket series greeting cards.

If you are in Whitehorse, Yukon, come out and visit us!

Clarissa’s Year for Chilkat Weaving

Clarissa Rizal weaving a “Diving Whale Lovebirds” Chilkat robe – May 2013

One morning in early January, I woke up thinking about all the Chilkat weavings I started a year or two (or even three(?) ago:  the Chilkat robe for a couple from Seattle, the leggings for my friend Preston, a handbag for Cherri, the doll started with my daughter Lily, etc.   Incomplete projects tend to nag; they drag down energy . No one likes a nag; and I surely don’t like to be dragged down.  I was once a nag, but learned it didn’t do any good.  Yet did any of these Chilkat weavings learn not to nag to their maker?  No, because it’s not the weavings that are nagging; it’s that other part of me that’s nagging – so really I hadn’t ever given up the art of nagging – what a revelation!  So, that early morning in January, I said to myself:  “…this is my year for Chilkat weaving.  I’m going to complete all that I started…and then some…”  And I am doing so.  I’m quitting the nag business!