Land

acknowledgement

We at Panoply would like to acknowledge that we live, gather, and create this art on land which is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples, and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit, who are stewards of this land. This land on which we work is governed by the Dish With One Spoon Treaty, made between the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee as a commitment to share responsibilities of care-taking of the land around what is now Southern Ontario. Over time, subsequent Indigenous nations and peoples, as well as settlers, have been invited into this treaty in the spirit of peace and respect.

As we strive to uphold ideals of anti-racism and decolonization in our work, we recognize the ways in which our presence on this land upholds colonialism and acts of violence against Indigenous peoples. We commit to learning more about how we can prioritize upholding conditions of the treaties that govern this land. 

original text adaptations

When we adapted our version of Peter Pan for a modern audience, we at Panoply felt that we could not support the original play’s ignorant and racist depiction of the characters which are referred to as “the Piccaninny tribe” by the original playwright. As such, we felt we had no alternative but to remove that storyline altogether, as an acknowledgement that J.M. Barrie’s settler perspective has no place in the world today. This is not meant as an erasure of these past mistakes, but instead as a refusal to engage in this harmful depiction. Barrie’s original play is a cultural artefact, but Panoply is very firmly in the business of bringing classical stories to life for contemporary audiences to enjoy. We believe this story has intrinsic value in its exploration of other important themes, and we wished to be part of bringing this story into the twenty-first century. More thoughts and info about other adaptations of this particular aspect of Barrie’s original play can be found in articles HERE and HERE.