Seattle Symphony Celebrates Vi’s Healing Heart gift with nearly 2,000 attendees

For the first time in nearly 20 years, The Healing Heart of the First People of this Land, was performed by the Seattle Symphony, at Benaroya Hall. This journey began when I first met Jérémy Jolley at the 2023 premiere of our documentary, The Healing Heart of Lushootseed, which took place in Pigott Auditorium, at Seattle University. Jérémy Jolley is Senior Director of Education & Community Engagement at the Seattle Symphony. After the film screening, Jérémy and I discussed the possibility of a future performance with Seattle Symphony. Over the next 23 months, we communicated a number of times to coordinate another Healing Heart event. It was lovely to work with Jérémy. He was conscientious and thoughtful about exploring ways to incorporate Lushootseed culture and history into the event and finding ways to include Indigenous community partners and artists.

The day before the big event, I had the privilege of attending the first rehearsal of the Seattle Symphony with composer, Bruce Ruddell. Ben Workman-Smith, a Native cellist and WWU graduate student was also there to provide instruction to the percussionists on the Indigenous drums and rattles.

The March 7th Healing Heart concert was a wonderful success, with nearly 2,000 people in attendance from all walks of life. Before the concert started people gathered and greeted old and new friends in joyful anticipation. Guests enjoyed visiting the various community tables which included Johnny Moses, Lushootseed Research, Paul Chiyokten Wagner, Third Place Books, and yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective. One area had a monitor set up where people could sit and view archival footage of Vi taqʷšəblu Hilbert sharing traditional narratives. On the promenade level there was a series of banners outlining the history, preservation, and rejuvenation efforts of the Lushootseed language.

Shortly before the show began, Vi’s great-grand-daughter (and namesake) Sasha taqʷšəblu La Pointe, drew a hearty crowd of listeners as she celebrated the launch of her newest book, Thunder Song (paperback edition).

At 7:30 p.m. the lights went down, and the Healing Heart of Lushootseed film was screened. It received boisterous applause and cheers. After a brief intermission Johnny Moses, Vi’s nephew, and friends took center stage, and just as he did 19 years ago when the symphony debuted, he laid a beautiful spiritual carpet and offered a Shaker Blessing Song. Followed by a marvelous performance of The Healing Heart of the First People of this Land, conducted by Sunny Xia. Weaving together the Upper Skagit community ties, tsi sʔuyuʔał Adia Bowen’s soprano voice floated over and amid the symphony as if carried by the wings of an angel.

When the concert concluded, the audience erupted in thunderous applause, their appreciation resonating through the hall. Composer Bruce Ruddell stepped onto the stage, overwhelmed with emotion as he gratefully acknowledged their heartfelt ovation. The Canadian composer had successfully created a symphony that not only interpreted and translated select spiritual healing songs from the Skagit and Coast Salish culture but transformed them into a symphonic work that embodies their healing power, while maintaining authenticity to western roots.

The Healing Heart is a transformative extension of the spiritual healing power of the Coast Salish peoples to the entire world made accessible through a universally recognized genre.