'Ut'loo Noye Khunni ~ Weaving Words
March 5-8, 2025
'Ut'loo Noye Khunni /
Weaving Words 2025:
Story Forward: Journeying with You(th)
The 15th Annual WWC will be held March 5-8, 2025, with the theme of Story Forward: Journeying with You(th). This theme highlights our aim of celebrating stories for and by youth. With the first title “Story Forward,” we highlight the possibilities for a different future youth can envision through storytelling. Stories--written, oral, and in other mediums such as dance and song--can be one of the ways through which Indigenous people can imagine futures beyond colonialism and capitalism, futures that honour Indigenous knowledges.
The WWC is grateful to reside on the traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh, a place we are honoured to call home. The natural landscape of the Lheidli T’enneh territory, the beautiful locationfor Prince George and UNBC’s main campus, is abundantly rich in history and story. We aim to reflect that through the celebration of traditional and contemporary Indigenous storytelling, which facilitates the sharing of culture, knowledge, and entertainment during our multi-day Festival.
Our
Speakers
Richard Van Camp
Richard Van Camp is a proud member of the Dogrib (Tłı̨chǫ) Nation from Fort Smith, NWT, Canada.
He is a graduate of the En’owkin International School of Writing, the University of Victoria’s Creative Writing BFA Program, and the Master’s Degree in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia.
He is an internationally renowned storyteller and best-selling author. His novel, The Lesser Blessed, is now a movie with First Generation Films and premiered in September of 2012 at the Toronto International Film Festival. He is the author of five collections of short stories, six baby books, three children’s books, five comics and much more.
David Robertson
David A. Robertson is a two-time Governor General's Literary Award winner and has won the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and the Writer's Union of Canada Freedom to Read award. He has received several other accolades for his work as a writer for children and adults, podcaster, public speaker, and social advocate. He was honoured with a Doctor of Letters by the University of Manitoba in 2023 for outstanding contributions to the arts and distinguished achievements. He is a member of Norway House Cree Nation and lives in Winnipeg.
Cherie Dimaline is an internationally bestselling author. Her 2017 book The Marrow Thieves was named by TIME magazine, one of the Best YA Books of All Time and won the Governor General’s Award and the Kirkus Prize. Her novel Empire of Wild became an instant Canadian bestseller, was named Indigo's 2019 Best Book and is being adapted into an opera. Hunting By Stars was a 2022 American Indian Library Association Honor Book and her new novel VENCO debuted at #1 on Canadian bestseller lists. Other 2023 titles include Funeral Songs for Dying Girls, Anthology of Monsters and Into the Bright Open. Cherie lives in her Georgian Bay Métis Community and writes/produces for screen and stage.
Cherie Dimaline
Schedule TBA
Wednesday, March 5 9:00 am
9:30
TBA
14:00
15:30
10:00
17:00
11:30
18:00
13:00
Sponsors
UNBC
ABOUT THIS VENUE:
For thousands of years, Indigenous Peoples have walked gently on the diverse traditional territories where the University of Northern British Columbia community is grateful to live, work, learn, and play. We are committed to building and nurturing relationships with Indigenous peoples and we acknowledge their traditional lands.
The Prince George campus is situated on the unceded traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, part of the Dakelh (Carrier) peoples' territory.