Inner Fish Performance
with support from Dance West Network
Okanagan Nation Territory
Matriarchs Uprising – Indigenous Women Dancing Stories of Transformation, is a mixed bill of contemporary Indigenous dance works from Vancouver’s O.Dela Arts, and featuring solos by Olivia C. Davies, Sophie Dow, and Samantha Sutherland, on June 15–16, 2026, at the Mary Irwin Theatre in Kelowna.
The program includes a Talking Truths Circle Conversation with Indigenous artists, Syilx Nation Knowledge Keepers, and local arts leaders, as well as two community dance workshops led by the artists.
All activities will take place at the Rotary Centre for the Arts. Presented in collaboration with O.Dela Arts Society—through a connection initiated by Dance West Network and dancer and choreographer Claudia Moore—this project aligns with Inner Fish’s mandate to present innovative work while advancing reconciliation through meaningful opportunities for Indigenous artists.
The works reflect evolving directions in Indigenous dance, blending storytelling, Contemporary dance methodology and interdisciplinary approaches. In a region with limited access to professional Contemporary Indigenous dance forms, this presentation expands audience access and supports the circulation of Indigenous-led work within British Columbia.
The featured choreographers are developing hybrid practices that integrate cultural knowledge, movement, and personal narrative, demonstrating the leadership of Indigenous women in shaping the future of the performing arts.
Outreach activities deepen the project’s impact by creating space for dialogue and embodied learning. O.Dela Arts’ signature “Talking Truths” Circle Conversation fosters respectful exchange, while the community workshops provide direct engagement with Indigenous artistic practices.
Overall, this project strengthens the presence of Indigenous-led dance in B.C., supports artists in reaching new audiences, and centres Indigenous voices within Kelowna’s cultural landscape. It also marks a significant step for Inner Fish Performance in presenting an Indigenous-led program of this scale in the Okanagan.
ʔa·kinq̓uku Samantha Sutherland