Around 20 people turned out to Blue Quills First Nations College last Thursday afternoon for a play inspired by stories collected from aboriginal homeless survivors.
Last year Homeward Trust, a non-profit organization that uses a community-based approach toward the goal of ending homelessness in Edmonton, asked Blue Quills to conduct a research report on aboriginal homelessness. One part of the report included interviewing former homeless people, which was subsequently turned into a play.
The play consists of four actors reading parts of the transcript from the interviews conducted last year, with each story reflecting on the various social issues associated with native people who live on the streets.
According to organizer Tina Hull, the play has been performed several times now and is in the process of being filmed. The print report is in its final editing stages.
"I think that it will explore more what they're like as people," Hull said about the play’s intentions to document homeless native people. "They're real people and they need help just like anybody else."
After the play was performed, those present took part in a small discussion about their overall thoughts on the stories and what should be done to better address the issue.
One person said the play should not only focus on aboriginals affected by homelessness in the city, but also those who live in rural areas such as St. Paul.
