Reawakening Event Series
2024 Sonic Trail Podcast
Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority
Project Description
Reawakening Event Series - Reawakening: Sounds of the Forest Sonic Trail Podcast (2024)
Beginning in 2022, the NPCA has partnered with Niagara Folks Arts Festival and Metia Nation's Michele-Elise Burnett of Kakekalanicks Indigenous Consulting to develop a multi-day Indigenous-led cultural event on the land. The Reawakening Event Series delivers authentic experiences for guests within NPCA conservation areas, where Indigenous elders, artists, musicians and leaders share knowledge, understandings of the natural world and art through guided walks and circles, dance, music and more.
In 2024, "Reawakening: Sounds from the Forest" at Ball’s Falls Conservation Area celebrates the harvest and honours all our relations through a 90-minute immersive sonic (audio) trail walk and featured a live concert under the stars featuring Tribz. Reawakening was delivered over three dates in Fall 2024 and the sonic trail walk can be experienced by all guests by following our all-new podcast: Reawakening Sonic trail Series.
The journey begins with a traditional welcome circle, followed by a guided walk along the ancient Forest Frolic Trail. Led by Nokomis Cindilee, guests experience the sounds of the lands and waters of Ball's Falls Conservation Area and stories that connect us to Indigenous histories and future generations through an immersive audio experience and podcast produced by William Reich Jr (Metis, Bear Clan).
Challenge / Issue and Solution
The NPCA, Niagara Folks Arts Festival and Kakekalanicks each sought to address issues unique to their organizations and visions, but that aligned with one another. Through our Strategic Place (2021-31) the NPCA seeks to connect more people to nature, while serving as a strong partner for Indigenous interpretation and programming within NPCA conservation areas. Niagara Folk Arts mission is to create opportunities for newcomers and new Canadians to engage in an accessible way with Niagara's Indigenous communities, histories and futures. Kakekalanicks serves to engage local Indigenous peoples, communities, leaders, artists and knowledge keepers in authentic programming and events that allow people to explore Indigenous cultures.
The three organizations came together to develop a multi-day event and program on the land within NPCA conservation areas, including two-eyed seeing trail walks featuring Indigenous elders and knowledge keepers and NPCA staff providing Indigenous, traditional interpretations of the land, alongside Western ecological knowledge, as well as concerts featuring Indigenous artists, singers, drummers and dancers and Indigenous sport. The Event became an annual series delivered in the week leading up to September 30 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and across the Fall season.
In 2024, the Series launched a Sonic Trail and Podcast, to create a longstanding program than can be experienced passively, by conservation area visitors, all year long.
PEOPLE: Share any details about how you partnered or collaborated with others (internal or external)
The NPCA works regularly with other event operators and organizations. Since 2022, we have worked closely with Niagara Folk Arts to create opportunities for newcomers and new Canadians to experience nature in a safe, accessible way through programming, recreation and learning through the Reawakening Series. NPCA staff work very closely with Kakekalanicks artistic director, Michele-Elise Burnett, to develop, produce and deliver programming through Reawakening that brings together local Indigenous elders, musicians, youth, artists and producers to create a moving and immersive experience on the land for guests. Through this process, our partnership between the three organizations are creating access to nature, Indigenous knowledge and culture, and developing a growing and strengthening Indigenous tourism presence within Niagara.
PLANNING: Provide a description of how you planned, prepared and implemented your project
After 2 years of successful in-person, active programming and concerts, the team sought to rejuvenate the Reawakening series, and sought to develop a program that could be experienced by conservation area visitors any time of the year, without the need for interpreters or guides, which are an essential part of the event series held annually in September. in 2024, after many successful two-eyed walks, artistic direction turned to the production of an audio tour or "sonic trail walk" - allowing visitors to download/save a curated, exceptionally produced soundtrack for the hiking trail at Ball's Falls, featuring knowledge of Indigenous elders, drumming and flute by renowned Indigenous artist Darryl Tonemah, and the natural soundtrack of Ball's Falls featuring audioscapes recorded within the Carolinian forest, and along the Twenty Mile Creek and waterfalls. The audio tour was painstakingly produced by Indigenous audio engineer William Reich Jr. and features stories, song and sounds that enliven a walk of the trail at Ball's Falls Conservation Area with Indigenous perspectives.
PLACES: Conservation Area Impact / Outcomes
In 2024, the Reawakening Series developed a dedicated, year-round audio trail walk of Ball's Falls, that can be accessed any time through our all-new podcast, and experienced in person along the trail. While the event delivered an immersive, elder-led two-eyes walk, the Podcast provides an accessible method for conservation area guests to engage in a self-guided experience.
Describe the overall outcome and success of your project, noting your achievements in innovation and inspiration in PEOPLE, PLANNING and PLACES
The overall outcome of the Reawakening series has resulted in hundreds of newcomers having authentic and immersive experiences in nature while learning about Indigenous history and culture, the program brought together three diverse organizations to deliver innovative programming and events annually, while creating a dedicated platform for Indigenous interpretation and tourism product development in Niagara. This program draws on People, Planning and our exceptional natural Places in Niagara, and the Indigenous interpretations and histories upon them.
