Growing up in the 90’s, we were never lacking for entertainment: the Disney renaissance was in full swing, we had TV staples like “Wheel of Fortune”, and boy bands ruled the airwaves. But what happens when you look back on that childhood, and even further, and realize how much it took from you? How much it changed who you’ve become? Yolanda Bonnell’s White Girls in Moccasins does just that, blending 90’s nostalgia with magical realism to look at the life of a young girl on the rez and what has shaped her ways of being. Co-directed by Bonnell and Carmen Alvis, with outside eye Sam Brown, White Girl in Moccasins details a personal journey of self-discovery and reclamation – looking to the past to move forward.

In the middle of the Aki Studio Theatre sits a large drum, with the three performers jauntily sitting atop it, welcoming in the audience as they head to their seats. Projections of Bonnell and Katia Ferderber, Miskozis past and present, light up the far wall. Trevor Schwellnus’ set design is beautifully symbolic while also being surprisingly functional. Sitting on three sides of the drum, the audience becomes a part of the drum circle, of the storytelling which is about to occur. Rihkee Strapp’s animations and video design, created with Schwellnus, provide much of the visual nostalgic elements, while also helping to explore the more mystical elements of Miskozi’s journey.

White Girls in Moccasins opens with a scene of pre-colonial tranquility; where the people were working in harmony with the land. Until the tornado of settlers disturbs everything, forcing them to leave parts of this life behind, or to bury them down so deep that they forget where to look for them. This is where it all begins. We then meet Miskozi, a young girl who lives in a small house on a reservation with five other members of her family. Her grandfather makes moccasins to sell and her grandmother knows all of the best recipes. But Miskozi has never felt fully Indigenous; like there’s a part of her which believes that she’s a white girl, Waabishkizi, just like the ones she sees on TV or hangs out with at school, the ones she dates when she’s a teen. Yet there’s always this spirit, Ziibi, calling out to her, guiding her back to her roots, and to the moccasins her grandfather made for her.

Ferderber is making her Toronto theatre debut as Miskozi, and she gives a vulnerable yet energetic performance. I don’t know if it was simply opening night jitters, but unfortunately Ferderber felt a little unprepared, making a few obvious slips throughout the show. However, I have full faith that her performances will only get better as the run continues! Ravyn Wngz brings an element of sass and fabulousness to Ziibi. Ziibi is a grounding force in the play, and Wngz deftly embodies that spirit. Elizabeth Staples’ Waabishkizi is hilarious, clearly taking on the stereotypes of white women, while also providing a foil for Ferderber’s Miskozi.

White Girls in Moccasins ultimately is about resilience: about our ability as humans to look at our pasts as a path to change our futures. Bonnell’s voice rings loud and clear through this work, and its message is one we could all use a reminder of.

White Girls in Moccasins runs at the Aki Studio Theatre until April 12. For more information and tickets, visit: https://nativeearth.ca/shows/all-shows/white-girls-in-moccasins-by-yolanda-bonnell

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Cover Photo: Katia Ferderber, Ravyn Wngz, and Elizabeth Staples. Photo by Kate Dalton.

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