AHVS professor Mique’l Dangeli with a piece of new regalia (photo: Claudia Phillips)
Have you ever seen Indigenous regalia danced into life? On March 5, the Indigenous dance group Git Hayetsk (People of the Copper Shield) will be performing in the Indigenous Law wing of the Fraser Building, where they’re debuting new choreography and handmade regalia. The group is led by Ts’msyen artist Dr. Mique’l Dangeli, Indigenous Arts professor with Art History & Visual Studies, and her husband, Nisga’a artist Mike Dangeli.
All are welcome to this free “Bringing Regalia to Life Community Feast“, running 6 – 8pm Thursday, March 5, in UVic’s Fraser Building Community gathering space (B121) in the Indigenous Law wing.
For the past 20 years, Mique’l and Mike have shared the leadership of this intergenerational multi-Nation dance group, whose members’ home communities are in Southeast Alaska and Northern BC. Git Hayetsk has performed nationally and internationally at private and invited ceremonies, and at public arts events. Most of their dancers have grown up in the city, and their participation in the Git Hayetsk is the primary way they have connected with and practiced their culture.
Since moving to Victoria in 2024, Mike and Mique’l have welcomed Nisga’a and Ts’msyen families into the Git Hayetsk by holding weekly dance practices in UVic’s Fine Arts building and Metchosin’s Pearson College. The majority of their new members are UVic students or alumni, and this is the first time they have ever danced their people’s songs and dances in their lives.
With her work at UVic, Dangeli emphasizes the connection between performing and visual arts: for her, there’s no disconnect between the two. “This is a part of not only my research, but my research creation,” she explains, saying art and dance has been a part of her life since her early school age. This connection between performance and visuals is also reflected in Git Hayetsk through the dancing, drumming, and wearing of original regalia.
To make it all happen, they’ve been using two new campus resources: the Taqsiqtuut Indigenous Research-Creation Lab and the Indigenous Law wing in the Fraser building.
Why perform in the Law building?
On the surface, it seems unconventional to perform in the Indigenous Law wing, but Dangeli says it’s actually the perfect place for Git Hayetsk. “It’s a beautiful space that we’ve really found a home within,” she says. Prior to the building’s completion in Fall 2025, there was no dedicated on-campus space for dance groups like hers to practice; until recently, Git Hayetsk practiced either in the lobby of the Fine Arts building or the theatre at Pearson College in Metchosin.
Although the acoustics of the Fine Arts lobby were great, the dancers found the tile and concrete flooring hard on their joints and became uncomfortable when dancing for longer periods of time. The new wing, Dangeli says, is a much better fit. “They have a beautiful gathering space that’s a community hall … it’s essentially a long house inside of the law building.” Additionally, Dangeli explains that the wooden architecture is a better fit for their cultural practices. “It’s actually the most appropriate place for us to practice on campus and to hold this event.”
Making regalia in the Taqsiqtuut lab
Not only is the new Indigenous Law wing an amazing on campus resource, but so is the Taqsiqtuut lab. Every weekend for the past four months, Mike and Mique’l have hosted regalia-making workshops for Git Hayetsk members to work on their handmade regalia, with the support of First People’s Cultural Council. “We’re grateful for the Taqsiqtuut Indigenous Research-Creation Lab’s support of this work, because we wouldn’t have a place to gather and create without them,” says Dangeli.
Their regalia features dance aprons, tunics and collars, all made from leather with a fringe that enhances the movement of both the dancer and the regalia. “Each design is unique to the person wearing it and is a reflection of their family and their rights,” Dangeli explains. “We are matrilineal and our identities are defined by who our mothers and who our grandmothers are. This is an expression and an assertion of their matrilineal line and their identities.”
Maintaining cultural connections through art
An essential part of Git Hayetsk is the community and cultural connection it fosters. Many members were unable to engage with their traditional dances due to the 20th century Potlatch bans criminalizing Indigenous song and dance. “It’s not just taking the songs that survived the Potlatch ban — which are very few,” Dangeli points out, “but it’s also about ensuring that we’re creating people who have independence within our culture.”
This independence involves owning their own regalia, reclaiming their languages and experiencing the songs and dances that are their hereditary rights. Git Hayetsk members spend four to six hours together every weekend, making regalia and dancing. Dangeli says these activities have “created stronger bonds between my dancers” and built additional trust as they assist each other when making regalia. “It’s been really beautiful to see the artistic gifts that emerge in each one of our dancers.”
Working in the Taqsituut lab
A never-before-seen performance
This particular event stands out in several ways for Git Hayetsk. showing and dancing their regalia for the first time is culturally important to the group. “For our people,” says Dangeli, “it’s the beginning of the life of that ceremonial belonging. So, we’re literally bringing these items to life in front of everybody.”
Some dancers are also trying out a new task in this performance, shifting roles within the group: a handful of dancers are also drumming, another first for this performance.
At the Community Feast on March 5, they will also have Nisga’a/ Ts’msyen filmmaker Nick Dangeli showing an excerpt of his film — made with the support of the Taqsiqtuut Lab — which documents the dancers coming together as a community to make regalia. This event is also supported by UVic’s Indigenous Storyteller-in-Residence series.
Additionally, they’re doing new choreography that highlights new skills and emphasizes the importance of the space the group is performing in. Dangeli explains that the dancers who’ve been with them for a while are comfortable with the basics, so she crafted new choreography that is specific to the Indigenous Law wing. Moreover, she’s gotten to create choreography that will highlight with their youngest dancers. “Which is so fun for the little hyper things,” she laughs.
—Claudia Phillips
