A video showing a Ukrainian dance group performing a traditional Indigenous dance has gone viral, with many on social media calling the dance a display of cultural appropriation.
Janelle Pewapsconias attended Folkfest, a multicultural festival, in Saskatoon where she watched and recorded the performance in the Ukrainian pavilion.
The video, which shows some dancers in traditional Indigenous headdresses, has more than 100,000 views since it was posted to Facebook on Saturday.
“It was really offensive because as a dancer who has been initiated traditionally and as an adult who understands the tradition of powwow, how could this be honourable?” Pewapsconias said to CTV Saskatoon.
Some comments on the Facebook video called the performance “bizarre” and “a mockery” of the Indigenous culture.
The Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble released a statement on Facebook after seeing the criticism, saying that the piece, called “Canadian Kaleidoscope,” has been performed for nearly 15 years internationally and is meant to promote inclusivity.
According to the statement, Art Director Serhij Koroliuk invited leaders and choreographers from the cultural groups represented in the performance to oversee the dance’s direction and provide input on protocol.
Pewapsconias feels that consultation on the production wasn’t enough, and that there should have been more input from the Indigenous population.
“In a city with one of the highest populations of Indigenous people, why weren’t our dancers being used?” Pewapsconias said. “I’m confused as to why this still happens.
Koroliuk has said that upon returning to Canada from Ukraine at the end of the week he will speak to Indigenous elders to create an open dialogue about the performance.
