3 Crows Productions
Indigenous Educational Storytellers
About
3 Crows Productions is a unique group of Indigenous Educational Storytellers dedicated to increasing awareness of culture, history and experience from an Indigenous perspective. As a 100% Indigenous owned and operated company, each member has verifiable ancestry and lived experience to share. Each member is dedicated to educating the future generations of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members through presentations, Oral Storytelling, live theatre performances and documentary filmmaking.
CYRIL PIERRE
Cyril is a member of the Katzie First Nation and a descendant of well known Katzie speakers on history, culture, and language. For over 20 years he has been a professional public speaker presenting in schools, universities, mental health organizations, government, community healing groups and Corrections Canada. Cyril is featured in several documentaries including "Our Story", a documentary about two Residential School Survivors who candidly share their experiences at Saint Mary's Indian Residential School in Mission, BC.
Cyril was born and raised on the traditional Katzie First Nation territories in Surrey, BC. From 1955-1967 he was forced to attend Saint Mary's Indian Residential School. For most of his adult years Cyril worked as fisherman channeling skills that his ancestors practiced as a way of life.
As an Elder and speaker Cyril has been a strong advocate for awareness of Residential School Survivors' experiences. His speeches have been featured on the CBC Evening News and published in "Saint Mary’s", an in-depth book on survivors of the Indian Residential School system. He has been a presenter with 3 Crows Productions since 2010.
In December 2021, Pierre accompanied other Sto:lo community members, chiefs and archeologists on a team called Xyolhmet ye Syewiqwelh (Taking Care of Children). The team was called to listen to the Oral Stories of survivors, review archival materials and assist in the ground penetrating radar process for Residential Schools sites within Sto:lo territory.
In 2023, Pierre guided 25 Indigenous students in a program sponsored by Parks Canada to create a unique art piece incorporating traditional practices and values, to be memorialized at the former Residential School site of Saint Mary's, now called Pekw’Xe:yles. It is a legacy project bringing his healing journey full circle.
Today Cyril lives on traditional Katzie First Nations territory and maintains a strong connection to his five sons and his growing family of grandchildren. He has retired from 3 Crows Productions and now spends his time focussing on loved ones and new artistic creations. He has been a pillar of truth, strength and hope in the Sto:lo community.
JOSEPH GINGER
Joe Ginger is a member of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation. Between 1955-1967 Ginger had the unfortunate reality of having to attend both Christie and Saint Mary’s Indian Residential Schools. While Ginger was attending his first few years of Residential School, his father passed away leaving him with very few family to connect with.
After Residential School he ran as far away as he could, pushing down his trauma in order to pursue a career. He moved to the state of Washington, USA where he studied System Analysis Design at IT Tech. After college, Ginger used his degree to work at the University of Washington, Bank of America and Verizon Wireless contributing his technical talents to these corporations for 35 years.
After his career working with computer technology systems Ginger decided it was time to return to his home in BC changing career paths to becoming a fisherman and use his life’s energy advocating for his people as Councillor on the Uchucklesaht Tribal Government. It was at this time he crossed paths with his fellow Residential School brother, Cyril Pierre.
In 2010 Pierre and Ginger began reconnecting while they were asked to record their testimonies for the Common Experience Fund with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. On this journey of sharing his testimonies, he met Dallas Yellowfly and agreed to be filmed alongside Pierre to create the documentary “Our Story”. In 2011 Ginger began presenting with Pierre and Yellowfly at schools and community gatherings where they would show the film and speak with the audience. Although having to relive these stories was painful, it was the start of a healing journey.
Ginger has spent 15 years uncovering his truths and memories with youth and educators across Canada in hopes that this work can one day lead to reconciliation. He has retired from presenting and now focused on maintaining good health and connections to his three children and two grandchildren. In his free time, Ginger likes to go to the aquatic center where he can take care of his physical health and wellness.
DALLAS YELLOWFLY
Dallas Yellowfly is a member of the Siksika First Nation. In his earliest years Yellowfly lived on his ancestral territories in Calgary, AB but spent most of his childhood on Coast Salish territories in Chilliwack, BC. Growing up on and off reserve amongst Coast Salish family he felt that he was living in two different worlds that coexisted.
After completing a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of the Fraser Valley Yellowfly’s career path began as an Indigenous Youth Care Worker in the Abbotsford School District. He noticed the two worlds he experienced as a youth seemed prominent in his work in education. Finally, after years of witnessing Indigenous youth affected by the inequities inherent in the education system he tried to bridge the gap in knowledge by sharing stories and Indigenous perspectives in classrooms. His work as a Youth Care Worker transformed into a full time presenter in the district. This inspired him to create unique storytelling presentations for education. To supplement some of the presentations he taught himself how to film short documentaries. The multimedia presentations became popular and soon he was getting booked beyond his own school district.
At night and in his free time, over the course of 15 years, he also pursued both music and stand up comedy professionally. He played guitar in 3 rock metal bands, recorded two albums which gained radio and internet following, toured Canada as a professional guitar player, simultaneously performing stand up comedy in Vancouver theaters and on CBC Radio.
In 2010 Yellowfly founded 3 Crows Productions blending his experience in music, stand up comedy, storytelling and filmmaking to make theatrical storytelling performances and unique documentary films. It wasn't until 2017 that he officially left the safety of his position in schools and began working for himself.
3 Crows Productions has quickly grown into a nationally recognized brand known for their unique storytelling performances and documentary films. Whether its corporate clients like Staples, government agencies like Corrections Canada or a theatre full of students, Yellowfly has maintained the same focus since his childhood, bridging the gap between two worlds helping people understand each other.
ALYSHA COLLIE
Alysha Collie is a Coast Salish artist, storyteller and filmmaker from the Soowahlie First Nation mixed with European settler and African ancestry. In 2019 Collie graduated from the University of the Fraser Valley with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Biology and minoring in Fine Arts. Under the guidance from Indigenous Elders and knowledge-keepers at her university she studied traditional plant medicines and applied that knowledge to help create the first Reconciliation Shakespeare Garden at UFV. This unique garden brings Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities together through plants and storytelling.
While completing her degree, Collie began working with 3 Crows Productions filming documentaries, performing as "Qwalena" and storytelling. Her passion for change helped steer Collie in a direction of educating those directly responsible for change in Indigenous student’s lives.
Collie is a multi-disciplinary artist and owner of her own company called The Collie Collective (@Collie.Collective on Instagram) where she focuses on decolonization and reclaiming her ancestral roots through her beaded jewelry, Salish art and weavings. She is a professional storyteller performing on stage in live theatre productions and improv workshops at The Flame, Surrey Civic Theatres and Tightrope Theatre. She is a filmmaker and has produced over 20 documentaries uplifting Indigenous artists, families, and Residential School Survivors. She also uses her graphic design skills to vectorize other artist's artwork for murals in museums and galleries, including the works of Coast Salish artists Les Wells, Joann Williams, and Roxanne Charles. “Having our ancestral art forms in visible spaces is important for our current and future generations of Coast Salish Peoples to feel a sense of pride and belonging in our own territories”, Collie says.
She also works with Zee Zee Theatre, a Queer based theatre located in Vancouver, as a Curator, Storyteller and as the Indigenous Community Engagement Manager. Her exemplary activism within the 2SLGBTQ+ community was recognized when she won the 2021 Honourable Mention of the Marie Lapuz Youth Leadership Award from SHER Vancouver.
Since 2022, Collie in collaboration with Tightrope Theatre, have raised over $3500 for local Indigenous non-profits who support healing initiatives for the multi-generations that have been affected by the Residential School system in some of the most underserved parts of Vancouver.
When Collie is not working, you can usually find her creating in one of her many disciplines of art beside her cat or nestled in the living room of her grandparent's house.
QWALENA
“Qwalena” is the name of a red cedar mask that was hand-carved by Xwalacktun of the Squamish Nation. Mask carving is a traditional artform passed down generations that is still thriving today with the knowledge and expertise of thousands of Indigenous Peoples that come from the diverse nations across our province.
The history of mask dancers and storytelling dates back thousands of years and is still an integral part of many First Nations cultures, especially amongst the peoples of the Northwest Coast. Traditional masks and mask keepers have extremely significant importance and are highly respected. Whether for storytelling, dancing or ceremony, there is protocol in the use or witnessing of a traditional mask.
Traditionally they are used in storytelling and ceremonies, however with the history of colonization, many masks have been stolen. These masks have been placed in museums and private collections far away from their homelands and the peoples who made them. Currently, repatriation efforts are starting to bring these stolen items back to their nations they belong to.
Qwalena’s mask is a one of a kind production, with Xwalacktun choosing elements of Coast Salish design with copper embellishments. She has a signature open mouth, signifying the sounds wild women are said to make in the stories told by many First Peoples for thousands of years. Qwalena’s hands on her face are used as an allegory of the Indian Agents who stole Indigenous children across Turtle Island.
Qwalena’s mask is not used for ceremonies, but is used for educational storytelling. The story of Qwalena is created and performed by Dallas Yellowfly accompanied by Alysha Collie as the masked actor. She has traveled across the country and is welcomed into new spaces in efforts to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities together through learning.
