Natalie Sappier

Samaqani Cocahq-Natalie Sappier is a Wolastoqey Indigenous multidisciplinary storyteller from Neqotkuk First Nation, New Brunswick. She draws upon her ancestral teachings to guide her to create stories. Her contemporary movement of painted storytelling is rooted by Traditional Wabanaki motifs, landscape, language and growing up on the rez. Chanting is her portal to memory which helps her travel into an imagination of worlds and wonder. It helps her find the colours in a landscape and the emotions that dance with the body, within line work, words written or spoken. Samaqani feels that art and wellness is weaved into one braid of sweetgrass, and she is driven to create stories of healing, love, purpose and protection of spirit and Earth Mother. She wrote and composed her first play Finding Wolastoq Voice, that was presented and toured with Theatre New Brunswick and was part of MOSHKAMO; the first Indigenous Theatre season at the National Arts Centre. Today, she continues to create stories with painting, theatre and film through her shape shifting character MAW (Amawhle) which are stories that are realized and developed with the guidance and collaboration of many Wabanaki Knowledge carriers and with the land. She carries passion for helping others find their voice through artistic expression and is an advocate for arts, culture, and two-spirit sacredness.