Professional musicians Brenda and DJ Hanson are reconnecting with their traditional territories and the communities within: the siblings and members of the Klahoose First Nation will be performing publicly for the Cortes community on Dec. 22 for a solstice event.

DJ shared how projects like Lovefest, Songwriters Circle and an upcoming private holiday series have been important to their reconnection with Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members and places.

“I don't really think that there's anything more, offering and giving as when we share our hearts and minds together for an opportunity to play somewhere like the Lovefest.”

It's such a wonderful, subjective environment to be able to perform and share,” DJ continued. 

In addition to the community music connections this past summer, the duo are looking ahead to four private holiday gatherings with the Klahoose First Nation. The traditional territory and the actual residences of the Nation’s members reaches in all directions from Cortes Island, so holiday gatherings are also being hosted in Powell River, Campbell River and Auburn, Washington, to reach as many members as possible.

DJ expresses his gratitude for the opportunity to connect.

“We're really exercising all of my relations because everyone's kind of lives at large, so we're looking at having that foremost opportunity to be able to share; share a meal, share our gifts, and sing some songs.”

Brenda added that it is a "special time" to meet different members of the community.

“Some of these relations of ours, that Dwayne speaks of, we haven't even met. We don't even know one another, we don't know who each other are. So this is a really, really special time.”

The Cortes performance will be held on Friday, Dec. 22, at Mansons Hall for the Solstice Coffeehouse.

To hear more about this time of reconnection, listen to the CKTZ News Update below: