Stories of the Summer part 2 of 5

Written by Magan Carty

We made a very special friend during our four-week stint at the Fireweed Market. A talented young artist visited our booth regularly. Just as the market would open to the public, like clockwork, she appeared on her bicycle ready and eager to paint more fish puppets. Sometimes, she’d bring along friends and other kids at Shipyards so they could make one of their own to take home. 

This 10-year-old took her time with every fish, coming up with some of the most intricate designs and stories to accompany her named creations. She donated some of her fish back to Nakai to put on display. She took it upon herself to get some of the littlest artists started. And when she finished painting for the day, she tied each fish to the front of her bike and rode around the market showing them off. Her sense of purpose and belonging made me see how much the work we are doing matters. 

Week after week, the Fireweed Market filled the parking lot at Shipyards. Nothing kept the community away, not even the thick and scary rain clouds during our final week. Just over an hour after the market opened to public that Thursday, a torrential downpour wiped out the vibe with sideways rain, thunder and lightning. 

Vendor tents became safe-havens for those caught in the storm. The family who was painting fish at the time huddled with us under our tent until the sky cleared up.

We weren't the only ones sharing shelter with visitors though; some people were even hiding in the structures of the playground. 

That family never got to complete their fish since the rain had soaked their cardboard. Nevertheless, they left happy with all but their water-logged, half-painted fish. The weather became a bonding experience for us all. 

After building our inventory of big fish at Shipyards and swimming them through the Fireweed Market on Thursdays, people in Whitehorse were really getting to know our puppets. Week after week, our creative process took place in plain sight of the public. We welcomed community members to try their hand at some of the puppets and sign up for volunteer opportunities in late June and early July.  

Teagyn Vallevand was passing through the market when she saw our five-person salmon puppet in action and invited us to take part in the Salmon Bake-Off as part of Indigenous Peoples Day.  

On Tuesday, June 21, Jacob, Jordan, Claire, Susie-Anne and I strapped into the puppet and made our way to the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre, pausing for many photos along the way. We rehearsed a series of moves including twirls and do-si-dos. 

The secret of Salmon endurance are the belts around our waists with upside-down shoes for the base poles of the pieces to slide into. This method was a definite crowd-pleaser, with passersby seemingly more astonished with how the puppet worked than how it looked. Countless comments were made about the shoes. 

A stand-out moment occurred when one child said to Claire, who was operating the salmon’s tail, “You have the easiest job. The tail is the easiest part, I know it!” Seconds later, Claire ran into the door frame of the Longhouse with the tail –You can’t write that comedy. 

Another kid left Jacob speechless when he asked enthusiastically and confidently, “Is that a dragon?”

Having realized it wasn’t going to be showcasing its sourdough recipe, the salmon fled the Bake-off after a fun turn with host Sharon Shorty.

JOIN IN THE FUN! Visit us at Wondercrawl, Friday September 2nd