Metu'na'q

Story

Metu'na'q - a Mi'kmaw adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest.

In the summer of 2024, sixteen community members from Sipekne'katik First Nation, including Sipekne’katik youth, created Metu'na'q, an outdoor, community-driven production that weaves Mi’kmaw culture into Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Most likely written in 1610 - the same year England started to colonise what is now referred to as Canada - The Tempest’s characters Caliban and Ariel partially reflect Jacobean England's impressions of the Indigenous people of North and South America. The multi-generational cast engaged with traditional Mi’kmaw cultural practices and history to build all aspects of the production and interpret Caliban and Ariel’s stories through a Mi’kmaw lens.

Company

The original production of Metu'na'q (The Tempest) ran from August 14th - 25th, 2024, on the beautiful New Town Trail of Sipekne'katik First Nation. It was created by The Sipu Tricksters, a multi-generational ensemble of community members from Sipekne’katik. The team included a retired fisher, a current school teacher, high school and university students and single moms; most of them were first time actors and their experience covered a vast spectrum.

The 2024 Sipu Tricksters were:

Cast:

Janine "JJ" Adema - Ariel

Bella-Rose Masty - Stephano

Kayli Raye Marr - Ferdinand

Sheena Marie McCulloch - Boatswain

Elle Michael - Prospero

Lily-mkel - Trinculo

Arianna Paul - Miranda

Emerald Paul - Alonso

Eva Sack - Sebastian

Richard "Krow Dog" Taylor - Antonio