The play draws from Cajune’s personal life experiences and the true stories of generations of the women in her family living on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Northwest Montana. The stories told in BELIEF present a rare opportunity for audiences to participate in a genuine cultural exchange, and to gain insight into the daily lives of people in a Native American community as they grapple with the human condition, as well as with the broader historical legacies and events of our time.
Cajune’s mixed heritage is a direct consequence of these historic events. “I am the sum of many stories from many places. My mother was Salish, Nez Perce, Scots and Irish. My father was Chippewa and French. These different stories and places all occupy memory and space inside of me, but the largest part of my identity is Salish and it is my Salish homeland that holds my affection. It is where I grew up and live today.”
BELIEF originated seven years ago as an idea to weave music, story, and poetry to portray the lived experiences of Native women through theatre. The play was written by Cajune and poet Jennifer Finley, and is directed by Linda Grinde.
BELIEF is a play with much to say about today’s world. “We enter this world wired for story,” says Cajune. “From childhood and throughout our life, story is the filter we use to make meaning—to understand who we are. Story informs our identity and our place in the world. Story characterizes our relationship with our self, with others, and with the world. Daily we rely on story to communicate the profound, the humorous, the mundane and the exotic episodes of our lives.
BELIEF: Lives and Stories of Montana’s Salish Women, a one-woman show featuring Salish tribal member, cultural historian and actress Julie Cajune, has been selected for a one-week run at the historic Gene Frankel Theatre in New York City, from September 18-22. The theatre is located at 24 Bond Street in Manhattan.
Tickets are available here: https://m.bpt.me/event/4296921
