Indigenous History Month 2023

National

Indigenous

History

Month | 2023

Art creates a sense of social identity and tells stories of our history, our travels and our ancestors.

It helps pass on knowledge to future generations.

This year's Indigenous History Month, we’re celebrating First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists who are helping to keep our stories alive.

Storm Angeconeb

The Creation Story

From Lac Seul First Nation, Storm Angeconeb shared this artwork titled The Creation Story which depicts the Ojibwe legend of how Turtle Island was created.

Joshua LeClair

“Mashkikiike Aadizookaan”

‘MAKING A SACRED MEDICINE STORY’

When Two-Spirit Anishinabek artist Joshua LeClair isn’t doing community work, they’re creating woodland art paintings or crafting birch barks. This painting commemorates the East-West Tie Project and depicts what can be accomplished between Anishinabek and Ontario.

Jordan Meekis

Bird Tamers

Looking to inspire, Ojibwe artist Jordan Meekis shared this piece titled Bird Tamers showcasing Indigenous motifs, like texture and tones. The 28-years-old from Sandy Lake First Nation, Ontario currently works in animation and hopes to see more Indigenous youth enter the field.

Shonta Kishiqweb

David Mitchell Martin

aka Bimbo

Two-Spirit artist Shonta Kishiqweb shared this piece honouring their late Haíɫzaqv/Wuikinuxv grandfather David Mitchell Martin. Shonta says David, aka Bimbo was a refined artist in Coastal Formline, Painting and Carving.

Justine Proulx

Seven Sacred Teachings

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Justine Proulx is a Métis tattooist & mural artist with Cree and Ojibwe roots. She wanted to share one of her murals not only because it’s art, but because it’s a way to introduce Indigenous teachings in schools.

Kory Parkin

Indigenize Blue Bird

Artist Kory Parkin from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory looks to blend ideas to recreate something bold that showcases his culture. Kory says his mother has been a life long Toronto Blue Jays fan, so he chose to make something that combines his heritage and their love for the team.

Jenna Mallett

Dedicated to Buffalo Woman

A painting honouring ‘Buffalo Women’ and all MMIWG2S+. Artist Jenna Mallet from Fisher River Cree Nation shared this artwork which depicts a woman in a red dress with a blood dripping hand looking up at her spirit represented by a buffalo skull with a red hand print.

Ursa Burdenkeeper

Totem 2019

When not volunteering in the community, Métis artist Ursa Burdenkeeper can be found in Upbeat Artworks, located in Winnipeg’s Portage Place. Ursa shared this piece which represents faces of herself: “Who I am Inside, Who I am on the Outside, and the Outside Perspective.”

Percy Sacobie

HIGHWAYS 2016

Artist Percy Sacobie uses his Wolastoqey culture, traditions, story, and language as an influence for art pieces. This piece depicts how waterways were once used as highways, connecting all things Wolastokuk.

Steffany Fiddler

Mukluks with beadwork

Beader Steffany Fiddler enjoys sewing mocs and mukluks, making medallions and much more. She wanted to share her beading work to showcase sewing night in her community of Sandy Lake First Nation, Ontario.

Rolande Souliere

Mediating the Treaties

Rolande Souliere shared her work on display in Winnipeg which addresses the signing of Treaty 1. As a member of Michipicoten First Nation, Rolande’s art explores interconnectedness and complexities involved in systems and how they’ve impacted Indigenous peoples.

Cassandra Wolfe

Forget Me Not

Métis artist Cassandra Wolfe enjoys creating collages and painting and says art is an integral part of her mental health and well-being. Cassandra says she chose forget-me-nots to honour her nokum who was a residential school survivor.

Nicole Antoine

Ahana Wiconi Waskapi

Long ago, Life was Strong

Nicole shared this piece which depicts four notable and courageous leaders in Lakota/Dakota history. Nicole is currently studying at Brandon University, hoping one day to obtain an art therapy diploma so that she can work with youth and elders in her community of Sioux Valley Dakota Nation.

Damon Little

Our Mother Disappointed at a Wilting Flower

From Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, Damon Little is working hard to set up an art collective to help make the province a beacon for artists. Damon shared this piece he created for National Day of MMIWG.

Heaven Makokis

The Story Teller

Artist Heaven Makokis from Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta says dancing is a way of telling and accessing stories. The tenth grader shared her work which depicts a dancer in orange to honour the children who were forced into residential schools and never came home.

Chloe Mustooch

Connected to the Stars

Artist Chloe Mustooch is a proud member of the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation and deals in many different mediums, including beadwork, painting and sculpting. Chloe shared this piece with a title she says is especially important, Connected to the Starts.

Naomi Matchatis

Brothers Under the Sun

Naomi Matchatis is a self-taught Dene artist from Cold Lake First Nations. She shared this painting titled Brothers Under the Sun which honours animals and the many ways they’ve helped Indigenous Peoples.

Hannah LaForme

Two Spirit Creation

Hannah LaForme is a member of Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and started painting as a way to heal generational trauma. The Two Spirit artist created this piece to honour all the Indigenous Two Spirit people, trans people and queer people.

Shayde Sandy

Rez Life

Haudenosaunee artist Shayde Sandy specialized in oil painting and printmaking. This painting showcases the main intersection of downtown Ohsweken and the integral part in plays in the lives of those who live on Six Nations in Ontario.

Monica Rickert-Bolter

Kitihawa Dreaming

Chicago-based artist Monica Rickert-Bolter celebrates her Potawatomi and Black heritages in her work. Monica’s piece depicts Kitihawa, a Potawatomi woman who married Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, a French-Haitian fur trader, in the 1700s.

Niamh Dooley

Pride

Anishininew artist Niamh Dooley shared this oil self-portrait painting showcasing how her converge identities as an Indigenous and queer person. With her artwork, Niamh wanted to celebrate both #IndigenousHistoryMonth and #PrideMonth.

Bethany Mckay

Intergenerational Healing

Dakota artist Bethany Mckay created this piece to illustrate intergenerational healing. Bethany says it represents herself and her great grandmother, victims of the schools, and their descendants.

Lana Whiskeyjack

ohpahowipîsim

Flying-Up Moon

Lana Whiskeyjack is an associate professor at the University of Alberta, grounding her work in nêhiyaw ways. From Saddle Lake Cree Nation, Lana shared this piece showcasing womanhood within the Treaty 6.

“Mashkikiike Aadizookaan”

‘Making a sacred medicine story’

This commemorative painting to signify the completion of the East-West Tie Project tells a story of what can be accomplished between Anishinabek and Ontario.

At the core of this painting, is a story, a story about energy, in all of its forms, shapes, uses, concepts and interconnectedness of everything.

Lets begin this story.

First lets begin with the turtle. The turtle is the teaching of truth, one of the 7 grandfather teachings. Truth teaches us that we must honour all the teachings of our ancestors to live a good life, ‘Mino Bimaadziwin’. This includes the teachings of; Respect, Wisdom, Honesty, Bravery, Love, and Humility. The turtle is also used to represent Turtle Island. The land we call Ontario and other places are on this great turtle. The great turtle provided safety to the first woman on what we call earth. Both the turtle and woman represent ‘Mother Earth’, our planet, floating, carrying, protecting us as we travel the galaxy and universe.

The woman in blue, represents that first woman who came from sky people. She is connected with the turtle to represent this sacred story. Both the woman and turtle are looking at the sun, Giizis. All life comes from this great energy, this star. We know this. The connection of Giizis ‘Sun’ and Nmama Aki ‘Mother Earth’ are signified by this galactic view. We see the deep colours of the universe and distant stars and the milk way.

Across the view of the painting at the background of our symbols for earth, is a river, representing the Milky Way Galaxy. This magical river, carries the spirit of all being, to and from this physical realm. In this river, ‘Zibi’, are 4 canoes.

Each canoe paddled by one of the 4 sacred races of people. Each a keeper of on the sacred elements; earth, fire, water, and air. This to remind the viewer, we are all living this journey together, and to remind us, we all bring our own gifts, talents, stories, and experiences to the circle.
These rivers are many, some big, some small, but they connect us all. Anishinabek lived on this land for millennia travelling the rivers and lakes on our canoes.

We must honour this history and legacy. The lighting lines from the woman in blue represents these riverways. They all flow to the woman. For she is keeper of this sacred element. Anishinabek Kwe are keepers of Nibi; for it is a sign of that sacred gift; of that sacred ability; to bring life into this world.

We must all honour this for Anishinabek are our grandmothers, mothers, sisters, aunties are the keepers of Anishinabek spirit.

She is painted a copper/bronze to represent the glow of Anishinabek people for they are keepers of copper, a sacred metal. Her hand is connect to the outer ring of the turtle. There are 13 pieces to that outer ring, they represent each of the 13 grandmother moons, an Anishinabek understanding of a year.

Inside the turtle is a scene. It is a birds eye view of the northside of the great lakes region. The red thunderbird representing the Anishinabek Nation. The trillium flower to represent the province of Ontario. These symbols side by side to signify the relationship and partnership created to build this project.