Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

By Derrick Lafrance

Singers, Dancers, Stand-up comedy and Martial Arts were on the playbill last Friday at the Tsi Snaihne School.

The school's Student Council put on another great show in the gymnasium and their hard work and dedication paid off in appreciative applause from the crowd.

For some it was the first time in front of a crowd and jitters were expected. Others, like Orahkwinon Thompson, were stage vets. Thompson has been performing for four years and at the Talent Show she did Ava Max's "Sweet, But Psycho." Despite having experience facing a crowd, the jitters came out.

"I was still kind of nervous," she said.

As was admittedly Gracie Thompson who had the nerves even though she was onstage in 2018's Talent Show. She sang, "Night is Young" by China Ann McClaine.

Iehatiio had some Karaoke experience from the Akwesasne Winter Carnival and past talent shows but he was still nervous while singing "Diggin My Grave" from the Star Is Born remake.

Kenvie Thompson had no stage experience and was nervous about to perform an air band performance of Meghan Trainors "Your Lips Are Moving." But she reached inside and found a way to get over the jitters.

"I'm not looking at the crowd, I just said to myself I wanna do this," said Thompson.

Stormy Casey performed Drake's "Yes Indeed" and had six years of stage experience under his belt. He did previous Tsi Snaihne School Talent Shows and one at the Mohawk School in Hogansburg and showed no signs of fear.

There were a few groups or duets and they played off each other for support.

Ocean Lazore and Christi Thompson had an original dance routine to "Good As Hell."

They had their school time to rehearse but wanted to polish up the act more, so they worked together out of school.

"We came up with dance moves during rehearsals," said Thompson.

Lazore said they went to her house on weekends and she admitted they were nervous about performing.

Lorra McDonald and Jesika Philips performed to "Girls Like You" by Maroon 5. McDonald had experience in front of this crowd but found this gig harder.

"We sang at a Christmas concert, I wasn't nervous for that but it's kind of harder now because at the Christmas concert we were with our class," she said.

Vance Gray and Warryn Ingle performed to Post Malone's song "Sunflower." Both were confident they would nail it even though they didn't have any stage experience.

Jovie Thompson had lots of experience in public as a goalie in the Akwesasne Wolves minor hockey system. He told jokes but said he was more nervous now than when he is between the pipes at an arena.

Roweniente demonstrating his Martial Arts moves to "Kung Fu Fighting." Photo: Darcy O'Conell.

Roweniente is a Martial Arts enthusiast and like last year he used that art in his performance as he displayed his showcase of karate kicks and moves to "Kung Fu Fighting."

He studies in Cornwall and his choreographed moves were in perfect sync with the Carl Douglas disco nugget.

Angel Jackson-King is a traditional singer and drummer and brought that to the talent show. Although she has been playing the drum and singing for three years she was nervous about using new material. She sang "Grampa's Song". It was taught to her by her mother and it was her first time performing it.

The Tsi Snaihne School puts on the talent show with members doing the stagehand work and master of ceremonies and it was another fine performance that they worked very hard in putting together.