Nuts’a’maat Shqwaluwun
One Heart, One Mind: Walking the Bridge Together Through Music
This Event has Passed
Letter of Gratitude from Producer, Artistic/Musical Director Cari Burdett
2025 Show Highlights
is a powerful, intergenerational performance rooted in Reconcili-Action and cultural truth-telling. It brings together Indigenous and settler artists, Elders, youth, musicians, dancers, and storytellers in an evening of music, movement, and improvisation. Through honest cultural sharing and multidisciplinary collaboration, the performance culminates in a community talk on racism and reconciliation, led by Elder Qwiyahwultu’hw (Robert George).
Reserve your seat by visiting the box office at 2687 James St, or by calling the ticket centre at 250-746-2722
Nuts’a’maat Shqwaluwun One Heart, One Mind: Walking the Bridge Together Through Music
In Hul’q’umi’num, Nuts’a’maat Shqwaluwun means “One Heart, One Mind.” It’s more than just a name — it’s a living invitation to meet on the bridge between cultures, to listen deeply, and to move forward together.
On September 26, 2025, the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre will host a free community event that embodies this spirit. Nutsa’maat Sqwalawun: One Heart, One Mind, One Voice, One Heart is an intergenerational performance rooted in Reconcili-Action — the practice of moving beyond words into tangible acts of healing, understanding, and cultural truth-telling.
The project brings together Indigenous and settler artists, Elders, youth, musicians, dancers, and storytellers. Through music, movement, and improvisation, it creates a shared space for honest cultural exchange. The performance will conclude with a vital community conversation on racism and reconciliation, led by Elder Robert George (Qwiyahwultu’hw), inviting the audience to reflect, ask questions, and carry the dialogue forward into daily life.
Reconcili-Action Through Music
Music has a way of reaching across divides where words alone may falter. Improvisation — a key part of Nutsa’maat Sqwalawun — offers a living metaphor for reconciliation: it’s about listening first, responding with respect, and co-creating something that could not exist without both voices.
In this performance, a powwow drum might meet a Celtic fiddle, a hip hop verse might weave with traditional song, and dancers might embody the rhythms of both shared and distinct histories. This is not about blending everything into sameness — it’s about standing together in difference, honouring each voice while finding the points where our stories touch.
The Bridge We Walk Together
Walking on the bridge together requires courage. As Elders have shared, the more reconciliation deepens, the more resistance can arise. Racism is real, and sharing power is not easy work. But Nutsa’maat Sqwalawun holds space for that complexity — the joy of connection alongside the discomfort of truth.
The performance is guided by Quw’utsun Elders and Protocol Keepers, including T’uwahwiye’ (Philomena Williams), Qwiyahwultu’hw (Robert George), and Tsulhwuletse (John George), ensuring the process remains rooted in cultural integrity.
An Invitation to Community
Everyone is welcome — whether you come to listen, to witness, or to participate in the post-performance dialogue. Reconciliation is not a spectator sport; it is a shared journey. Events like Nutsa’maat Sqwalawun remind us that art can be both a mirror and a bridge, reflecting where we are and inviting us toward where we could be — together, one heart and one mind.
When: Friday, September 26, 2025 – 6:30 PM
Where: Cowichan Performing Arts Centre
Admission: Free – Presented as part of Culture Days
Facebook event page https://www.facebook.com/
Reserve your seat by visiting the box office at 2687 James St, or by calling the ticket centre at 250-746-2722
A Living Work: A History in Motion
This performance is not a one-time event, but a continuing step in a long-term, evolving process of cultural collaboration and community repair.
Since 2021, Nuts’a’maat Shqwaluwun has grown through a series of workshops, performances, and creative gatherings. Each offering is shaped by the people involved — Elders, youth, dancers, musicians, educators, and knowledge keepers — and is rooted in the principle that art is a vehicle for truth-telling, healing, and relationship-building.
Guided by the wisdom of Quw’utsun Elders, the work continues to deepen with each iteration — never final, always listening, always becoming.
Check out the “Weaving Our Way Into Spring” blog post to learn more about this offering.
What to Expect
Nuts’a’maat Shqwaluwun is a community-based, multidisciplinary performance — a shared space where traditional Indigenous songs and dances meet contemporary voices, improvisation, and cross-cultural artistic dialogue.
Featured participants include:
- Quw’utsun children’s drum and dance groups
- Pow Wow dancer Jerome Seymour Jr. and his daughter Lucille
- Spirit Drummers
- Local Celtic/European-ancestry musicians on fiddle, guitar, bass and voice.
- Contemporary dancer Ruth Levine
- Hip Hop artist Alex McCallum
- Lila Community Choir
- Indigenous musicians, storytellers, and singers
Much of the performance will be shaped through structured improvisation — an invitation for artists to meet one another’s work in real time, co-creating a living experience built on deep listening and cultural respect.
This is a work-in-progress — a space of invitation, not conclusion. Together, we gather in music, movement, and story to make visible the beauty, complexity, and challenge of cultural meeting.
SONGS
Learn to Sing Two Hul'qu'minum Songs With Us
We will be inviting the audience to sing these two Hul’qu’minum songs with us during the concert. If you would like to learn them, we have created a teaching video for you. Thank you for your efforts in reconciliaction and for meeting on the bridge through language.
Grandparent & Grandchild Appreciation Song (Hul’q’umi’num’)
Created by the SFU Hul’q’umi’num’ Choir and shared by Dylan George-James, Roberta Charlie, and Lyla Harman, this song honors the sacred bond between grandparents and grandchildren. Its translation gives thanks: “Thank you my grandchild, you light up my spirit. Thank you my grandparent, you strengthen my thoughts and feelings.”
Offered in the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation, the song carries healing through language, drum, and voice—thanking Elders for their guidance and blessing future generations with hope.
THIS YEAR'S ARTISTS
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Qwiyahwultu’hw (Robert George) is a Quw’utsun’ Elder and Protocol Keeper from Coast Salish, B.C., devoted to Nuts’a’maat shqwaluwun (One Heart, One Mind). He has led weekly healing circles and lodge ceremonies for 30+ years at the Cedars Centre for Recovery, and for three decades has guided the Alexander School Drum & Dance Group, teaching protocol, songs, and dances. A lead Elder with Quw’utsun Cultural Connections and Cowichan Social Planning, he delivers Journey of Our Generations workshops. Now in his fifth year with the Lila Music and Nature Centre, he is supported by partner Pamella Bourque.
Robert George and Pamela Bourque
Tsulhwuletse (John George) is a Quw’utsun’ Elder, Hul’q’umi’num’ language knowledge keeper, and village speaker who speaks at traditional funerals and guides protocol at community gatherings. A practitioner of wutth’els (knitting), he teaches intergenerational workshops that pair skill with cultural teachings and wellness. Through language, ceremony, and arts, he upholds Nuts’a’maat shqwaluwun (One Heart, One Mind) and helps carry Quw’utsun knowledge to future generations.
Tsulhwuletse (John George)
T’uwahwiye’ (Philomena Williams) is a Cowichan (Quw’utsun’) Elder and protocol keeper from Coast Salish territory, Vancouver Island. A cultural knowledge holder, she supports Hul’q’umi’num’ language use, song, and story, and is often called to open gatherings and guide ceremony. Through mentorship with youth, schools, and community programs, she fosters Nuts’a’maat shqwaluwun (One Heart, One Mind) and helps sustain Quw’utsun’ teachings for future generations.
T’uwahwiye’ (Philomena Williams)
PINDN is a Kwakwa̲ka̲’wakw and Nuu-Cha-Nulth M.C. from lək̓ʷəŋən Territory (Victoria, B.C.). In recovery from alcoholism, they found healing through Hip Hop as a continuation of their people’s storytelling traditions. Since 2022, PINDN has performed in Victoria, Vancouver, and at festivals in Alert Bay and Kingcome. Their debut album Spirits Back, supported by the First People’s Cultural Council, will be released later this year.
PINDN (Alex McCaullum)
Ruth Naomi Levin is an independent dance artist based in Edmonton with an MFA from York University and training from the School of Toronto Dance Theatre. She has performed and taught across North America and, since 2014, has been part of the Margie Gillis Legacy Project, performing alongside Gillis and its dancers. With over 18 years of meditation practice, she now studies Amerta Movement with Mala Sikka and Terry Hagan, and teaches embodiment and transformation through her company Embodied in Motion (www.embodiedinmotion.com)
Ruth Naomi Levin (Edmonton, AB)
We are Quw'utsun Smuneem. Our group has around 35-40 children (ages 5-12) that participate in the group. We raise our hands to our Tzinqwa family for laying the ground work from which we have stemmed out of.
Quw'utsun Smuneem Drum and Dance group
Cowichan Spirit Drummers is an intercultural group from the Cowichan Valley who gather to sing with Indigenous hand drums, guided by Cowichan protocols. Formed in 2008 to welcome visitors to the North American Indigenous Games, the group celebrates Nutsa'maat Shqwalawun — coming together with one heart and mind. They sing Cowichan songs gifted to them and others within tradition, meeting regularly in circle and performing at public events by invitation. Their guiding principle: Everyone is welcome.
CS Drummers
The Alexander Dance Group is based in the Cowichan Valley, on the unceded Quw’utsun territories. For more than 30 years, the group has been guided by Quw’utsun Elder and Protocol Keeper Qwiyahwultu’hw / Robert George. Rooted in a deep commitment to cultural sharing, the group focuses on connecting children and community through Quw’utsun teachings, dance, and tradition. They gather weekly to practice, to strengthen ties within their community, and to pass on knowledge through movement and story. The Alexander Dance Group is proud to share their dances at local community events, and they are honored to take part in this reconciliation arts and culture project.
Alexander School Dance Group
Isiah Shlamuxuthut Baker is a Tzinquaw dancer from Quw’utsun (Cowichan) who performs with the Quw’utsun Tzinquaw Dancers & Drummers. He has appeared at community and cultural events across the Cowichan Valley, supporting intergenerational teaching and the revitalization of Quw’utsun songs and dances. Guided by Elders and cultural leaders, Isiah’s work helps carry Cowichan traditions forward for youth and the wider community.
Isiah Shlamuxuthut Baker (dancer)
Daniel Lapp is a Victoria-based fiddler, trumpeter, and educator, and a cornerstone of B.C.’s roots scene. He is Artistic Director of the Chwyl Family School of Contemporary Music at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, where he also leads the B.C. Fiddle Orchestra and postsecondary programs with Camosun College. A prolific tradition-bearer, he has collected thousands of B.C. fiddle tunes, mentors emerging players, and in 2025 founded Woodbox Records to preserve and promote 150 years of fiddle culture while releasing new work. His playing is marked by curiosity, musicality, and a gift for building community.
Daniel Lapp
Adam Dobres is a fluid, folk-oriented guitarist based on Pender Island, B.C. He has toured worldwide with artists including The Ruth Moody Band and Toni Childs, known for his tasteful tone and adaptable musicianship. His self-titled 2016 debut earned a Western Canadian Music Awards nomination for Instrumental Artist of the Year.
Adam Dobres
Adrian Dolan is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer raised on Vancouver Island. Classically trained in piano, violin, and viola, he later embraced fiddle and accordion, and since age 17 has been a core member of The Bills, earning JUNO and Western Canadian Music Award nominations. He has toured internationally as a performer and audio engineer with artists including The Wailin' Jennys, Ruth Moody, The Chieftains, and The Rankin Sisters, and his production and arrangements span projects with Barney Bentall, Jenny Ritter, Oliver Swain, Alex Cuba, and more. Adrian also serves as technical director for the Hornby and Campbell Bay Music Festivals and lives with his family in the Cowichan Valley.
Adrian Dolan
Scott White is a West Coast bassist newly returned to Canada after 23 years in Europe. A UVic/McGill alum with a Music Therapy degree, he studied with Joel Quarrington and Dave Holland, performed with Paul Horn, Tommy Banks, Bill Henderson, and toured with Marc Atkinson. Former music director for a Cirque du Soleil show in Germany, he recorded for Sony Music and ECM Records and toured widely from Germany to Russia and Spain. He teaches workshops, records with The Bills, and serves as Bass & Band Lead / Assistant Musical Director for Nuts’a’maat shqwaluwun (Sept 26, 2025).
Scott White
Cari Burdett is a vocalist, educator, and community leader with over 20 years of experience in the Quw'utsun Territories. She holds degrees from McGill University and the Royal Academy of Music (London) and has over 30 years of vocal training, including work with renowned improviser Rhiannon and choir leadership through the Ubuntu Song Network. Founder of Lila Music & Nature Centre, Cari weaves music, nature, and community with a commitment to reconciliation and healing, using song as a tool for transformation and empowerment.
Cari Burdett
Lucille Seymour
Born and raised on Quw’utsun land, Stephanie Pickering is a Montessori preschool teacher who brings her love of music to children at Shawnigan Lake Montessori school. She is thrilled to be participating in this important project aimed at building bridges of cultural understanding for future generations.
Shawnigan Lake Montessori School - Stephanie Pickering teacher
Kwustunaat, Roberta V. Charlie is a member of Cowichan Tribes, born and raised in the Cowichan Valley. A believer in art as expression through both visual media and song, she deepened her cultural journey through the Indigenous Language Proficiency Program at Simon Fraser University, where singing became a tool for learning and transformation. She now shares this gift with her family and community, offering songs that support healing, carry culture forward, and bring joy to those around her.
Quwut’sun Vocalists - Kwustunaat, Roberta V. Charlie
Peye’tunaat, Lyla Harman (RSW, MSW) is a Cowichan Tribes member and Mental Health Counsellor based in the Cowichan Valley, with roots in Cowichan, Shuswap, English, and Scottish ancestry. She supports Indigenous women and communities healing from intergenerational trauma, weaving together story, song, and the Hul’q’umi’num’ language of her grandmother. Lyla leads workshops and retreats through her practice, Cedar Wellness, where she integrates singing, language, and holistic healing.
Quwut’sun Vocalists - Peye’tunaat, Lyla Harman
Dylan George-James is a member of Penelakut Tribes living at Quamichan Reserve with his aunt and uncle, Kwustunaat (Roberta V. Charlie) and sakwimultun (Loren Charlie). A lifelong music enthusiast inspired by video game soundtracks, he sang in school bands and choirs and now continues in the Indigenous Language Proficiency Program at Simon Fraser University, where he explores theatre, opera, and songwriting in his ancestral language.
Quwut’sun Vocalists - Dylan George-James
Andrew Peter (Hwun hwiin nuq’) is a Cowichan Tribes singer, drummer, and dancer, and a lifelong member of the Tzinquaw Dance Group, founded from the 1940s Tzinquaw opera. Born and raised into Tzinquaw through his late grandfather Ray Peter, he has been performing since 1995, travelling internationally and opening major events from Beijing to the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Awards. At home he leads and mentors youth, inspiring the next generation to carry forward Cowichan songs and dances with strength and pride.
Andrew Peter (Hwun hwiin nuq’)
Plus The Following Artists:
- Ecole Cobble Hill, Choir Directors Natalie Boulanger & Cecily Dhami
- Little Ravin
ARTISTIC & PRODUCTION TEAM
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Cari Burdett is a vocalist, educator, and community leader with over 20 years of experience in the Quw'utsun Territories. She holds degrees from McGill University and the Royal Academy of Music (London) and has over 30 years of vocal training, including work with renowned improviser Rhiannon and choir leadership through the Ubuntu Song Network. Founder of Lila Music & Nature Centre, Cari weaves music, nature, and community with a commitment to reconciliation and healing, using song as a tool for transformation and empowerment.
Cari Burdett
Producer & Artistic & Musical Director
Adrian Dolan is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer raised on Vancouver Island. Classically trained in piano, violin, and viola, he later embraced fiddle and accordion, and since age 17 has been a core member of The Bills, earning JUNO and Western Canadian Music Award nominations. He has toured internationally as a performer and audio engineer with artists including The Wailin' Jennys, Ruth Moody, The Chieftains, and The Rankin Sisters, and his production and arrangements span projects with Barney Bentall, Jenny Ritter, Oliver Swain, Alex Cuba, and more. Adrian also serves as technical director for the Hornby and Campbell Bay Music Festivals and lives with his family in the Cowichan Valley.
Adrian Dolan
Musical Tech Director
Scott White is a West Coast bassist newly returned to Canada after 23 years in Europe. A UVic/McGill alum with a Music Therapy degree, he studied with Joel Quarrington and Dave Holland, performed with Paul Horn, Tommy Banks, Bill Henderson, and toured with Marc Atkinson. Former music director for a Cirque du Soleil show in Germany, he recorded for Sony Music and ECM Records and toured widely from Germany to Russia and Spain. He teaches workshops, records with The Bills, and serves as Bass & Band Lead / Assistant Musical Director for Nuts’a’maat shqwaluwun (Sept 26, 2025).
Scott White
Band Lead & Assistant Artistic Musical Director
I’m an author, speaker, mixed media artist and story workshop facilitator. I live and work on a curious island in the Salish Sea. I drench life with the lively liquids of play. I gather community and cast my voice across the airwaves. I'm excited about this festival because I love dance and music, and especially the wonderful dances, regalia and masks of the First Nations People. I'm glad to help support this by filming, and giving pictures and videos to the troupes that they might use them in sharing their amazing work.
Theodore Lowry
Visuals Designer
Robin Bancroft-Wilson is a facilitator and consultant in systems change and decolonial spaces, supporting cultural transformation through collaborative, ceremony-informed processes. She began her career as a stage manager, working on over 60 productions in Vancouver and at the Stratford Festival after completing a BFA in Theatre Production and Design at UBC, later expanding into events, film, games, and community projects. Returning to the stage is both a homecoming and an offering. Of Scottish, English, Irish, and Welsh ancestry, she lives as a guest on lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ territories (Victoria, BC).
Robin Bancroft-Wilson
Stage Manager
Marisa trained in ballet, jazz, and modern dance from a young age, later expanding into contemporary, physical theatre, and Tanztheatre. She toured, choreographed, and taught across Europe for over a decade, and for the past 20 years has collaborated through Contact Improvisation and Capoeira. Marisa has danced in multiple Solstice Concerts and productions with Cari Burdett, and currently plays flute, bass, ukulele, melodica, and percussion with the band Bijoux du Bayou.
Marisa Jackson
Assitant Stage Manager
Guided by Elders
This project is guided by three deeply respected Elders from the Quw’utsun Valley: Qwiyahwultu-hw / Robert George, Meenah George, and John George.
Together, these Elders will welcome us with prayer and acknowledgement. Following the concert, Robert George will offer a short talk on racism, joined by Meenah and John for a Q&A with the audience.
Qwiyahwultu-hw (Robert George) and Pamela Bourque
ABOUT
Qwiyahwultu-hw / Robert George is a Quw’utsun’ Elder widely respected for his immense generosity in sharing teachings, welcoming people of all races and cultures, and working for Nuts’a’maat Shqwaluwun — One Heart, One Mind. He serves as lead co-facilitator for the Cultural Connections Elder Team and is involved in many cultural projects including the Thu-it [Truth] Exhibit, Reconciliation: The Journey of our Generation workshops, and the Xpey’ Project. He is also known for his vision of the Q’ushin’tul’ Ancestors Walk, a four-day journey that traces the Quw’utsun’ creation story from the people of the sky through T’Sou-ke territory to the summit of Swuq’us (Mount Prevost). At the concert, Robert will offer a prayer and land acknowledgement, and later share a short talk on racism in connection with reconciliation.
T’uwahwiye’ (Philomena Williams)
ABOUT
T’uwahwiye’ (Philomena Williams) has shared her voice and gifts in many community gatherings, including the Backyard Sessions. She will join the concert to open the space in prayer and song, and to speak alongside her brothers Robert and John in the dialogue following the performance.
Tsulhwuletse (John George)
ABOUT
Tsulhwuletse (John George), an artist and knitter, carries forward cultural teachings in his creative work and community presence. He will also take part in the welcoming prayer and acknowledgement, and join Robert and Meenah in the post-performance Q&A on reconciliation and racism.
Reconcili-Action in Motion
The word Reconcili-Action — with a “C” — is intentional. This is not a performance about ideals or symbolic gestures. It is a lived and active process. And as our Elders have reminded us: when reconciliation begins to take root, resistance can follow. Racism still surfaces. Power still resists being shared.
That’s why this project doesn’t shy away from discomfort — it walks directly toward it. Through music, story, and presence, we hold space for truth — for the pain and possibility of the work ahead.
Post-Performance Dialogue
The evening will close with a vital conversation on racism and reconciliation, led by Elder Qwiyahwultu’hw (Robert George), followed by an open Q&A. This final offering invites the audience not just to witness the performance, but to reflect, respond, and continue the conversation in community.
Nuts’a’maat Shqwaluwun is a space of cultural meeting, creative risk, and collective transformation. It is not perfect — and it is not finished. It is one step. And we welcome you to take it with us.
Reserve your seat by visiting the box office at 2687 James St, or by calling the ticket centre at 250-746-2722
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of:
B.C. Fairs, Festivals and Events Fund
Cari is a seasoned vocalist and music educator with a profound dedication to the transformative power of voice and song. Holding a Bachelor of Music in Performance Voice from McGill University and a Master of Music in Performance Voice and Opera from the London Royal Academy of Music, Cari is fluent in English, French, Swedish, and Italian, with the ability to sing in Russian, Spanish, German, and more.
With over 30 years of training in vocal improvisation under the guidance of Rhiannon, including an intensive year-long training program, Cari has honed a unique approach to voice as a tool for personal and community transformation. She has further enriched her practice under the guidance of Shivon Robinson and Dennis Donnelly in the first Community Choir Leadership Training in Victoria, BC.
Her commitment to the power of music in community building is evident in her involvement with the Ubuntu Song Network and her dedication to offering song and community choir to local non-profits, vigils, and community needs. Cari is also deeply invested in village making, rites of passage, and deep nature connection, working closely with local Indigenous Elders to honor the sacred unseeded lands she inhabits.
In addition to her work as a voice teacher at the Victoria Conservatory of Music and Camosun College’s Post-Graduate programs, Cari has completed extensive sound healing training and has a strong foundation in Waldorf pedagogy, having taught music from grades 1 to 12 at Sunrise Waldorf School. Her Master’s thesis explored the importance of music, improvisation and play in the healthy development of children as inspired by her mentor Par Ahlbom, Jarna Sweden, where she lived for fours years to study and work with him and his specialized Waldorf School “Solvik”.
Cari’s dedication to vocal arts extends beyond education; she is an award-winning recording artist, with her CD *Magnolia* and successful music tours receiving critical acclaim. Her work includes threshold singing in hospices, hospitals, and homes for over 12 years, bringing comfort and peace through song. Cari’s artistic journey also includes three music residencies at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, further solidifying her place as a dynamic force in the world of vocal music.
Registration Form
Song & Weave Events
FEE STRUCTURE FOR MARCH 22nd EVENT
$105 : STANDARD
This represents the bare-bones cost of running the program. Participants paying under this amount are underwritten by other participants and myself.
$155 : SPONSOR
Choosing to pay the ‘Sponsor’ Tier supports my ability to sustain classes, and supports community members who face money barriers to participation.
$55 : SUBSIDIZED
This fee is for those for whom paying the standard rate would create financial hardship. The discounted amount will be covered by other participants and myself.
Pay at the door: cash or card.
E-transfers also accepted
(cari [at] cariburdett [dot] com)