Paw芒kan Macbeth, adapted by Reneltta Arluk, and inspired by the youth of Frog Lake First Nation in northern Alberta, is Shakespeare not only taken over but transformed.

Arluk鈥檚 adaptation of Macbeth, which toured various NWT communities in October, bridges timelines and casts light on the importance of love in times of challenge 鈥� a rousing rebel cries meant not to divide, but unify.

鈥淚 was hired to go to the Frog Lake community to adapt the tempest鈥� says Arluk. 鈥淎nd I went like, 鈥極K, I鈥檒l do that, but I think it鈥檚 slightly problematic because Caliban is not the best character, and I don鈥檛 know how we could do that. So I started prepping anyways, but then I got an email from the drama teacher and he was like, 鈥榃ell, we don鈥檛 really identify with The Tempest鈥� and I was like, 鈥極h that鈥檚 good.鈥�

鈥楤ut we do identify with Macbeth because we want to explore the Cannibal Spirit, Wihtiko, as Macbeth, to talk about greed,鈥� the drama teacher said, and then I went, 鈥極K!鈥�

鈥淏ut, you know, there is so much connotation to Macbeth and so much connotation to the Cannibal Spirit, I just went, 鈥榃ell, that鈥檚 just a lot of energy for a three week residency.鈥� So, I thought, 鈥楲et鈥檚 meet with the Elders.鈥� So I invited Elders to meet with the students, and they鈥檙e working with Grade 6 to Grade 12 鈥� and just to meet with them and to share stories that they know about the Cannibal Spirit. And there were two reasons for that: it was to let the Elders know what we were doing, in a non-direct way, and to see if that was something they wanted to do, to talk about the Cannibal Spirit? Because, you know, in some areas it feels like it鈥檚 something in the past, or that鈥檚 mythical, but in Treaty 6 territory, especially in Frog Lake, it鈥檚 a very real energy.

鈥淎nd so is it something in the past if it鈥檚 something that still feels present?鈥�

Asking and stating at the same time, Arluk pauses for a split second.

鈥淭here鈥檚 parts, what I learned spending time there, there鈥檚 a Wihtiko Lake that鈥檚 people still don鈥檛 really camp there, and stuff like that. So I just wanted to be sure we were being respectful of the spirit, being respectful of the students, and really wanting to share knowledge.鈥�

鈥淪o, the Elders came and they had no problem 鈥� they were like, 鈥極h yes, sure, no problem, I鈥檒l tell you all the stories.鈥欌��

We both laugh out loud, knowing the wisdom and strength of Elders often overshadowing the hype, fear or superstition of youth, 鈥渁nd they just started doing it, and it was beautiful, it was a story exchange between the Elders and the students. And the students were sharing stories with the Elders that they knew, and what you got out of it was this really powerful cosmology like, the students know their community and know their history and their culture.鈥�

Shakespeare and Arluk鈥檚 visions place a beautiful, powerful lens on the dangers of grief, greed, loss, hunger, pain, and the need in times of turmoil, as much as ever, for loving, courageous leadership.