NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY | 9
SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2020
Top left photos: KC Adams’ birch bark technology is showcased in the virtual Gage’gajiiwaan exhibition. Top right photos: Artist Jackie Traverse offers free colouring pages. Lower photo: Clay vessel by KC Adams.
“It’s interesting how our ancestors adopted technology based on knowledge that was passed on from generation to generation, like where’s the best place to get clay and how much of the mixture do you use. It’s actually a superior technology to metal. It’s not as durable but it’s a better cooking utensil than a metal pot would ever be,” she said. “When I think about the show, I think about how you can’t know where you’re going until you know where you come from. So I see myself looking to the past to help firmly plant myself in the present and look to the future. Understanding ancient technologies and how adaptable we are as a people is worth being proud of.” In another local art initiative, Anishinaabe artist Jackie Traverse is offering free colouring pages to inspire creativity in people who are staying at home due to the pandemic. The idea originated with Fernwood Publishing, which published Traverse’s colouring books IKWE and Sacred Feminine . Information about the free colouring pages is posted on Fernwood Publishing’s Facebook page. “I believe in art therapy,”Traverse said, “and colouring is a really good way to calm you
down as you sit there in peace.” She recently had the chance to meet elders in a care home who became absorbed with the colouring pages during the time when they were unable to see their families due to the pandemic. “They look forward to sitting and telling stories when they colour, with some of them speaking in their language. They feel it’s a safe place for them. It’s really therapeutic, and some of the flower images reminded them of beadwork,” she said. “If it helped the elders, I imagine it helps other people to pass the time too.” Traverse also hosted four free step-by-step virtual painting classes over recent months. “I taught painting to probably about 100 people during the quarantine. Some of them sent me small donations. I was out of work as well, so it was nice to be able to connect with people who were sitting at home and feel like you have somebody to talk to,” she said. “Once they were done their projects, they would send me photos of their finished works. The art really helped these people through these times, and some of their work was so amazing. It makes me feel good that I’m able to share the love of art with others.”
Hon. Jim Carr, MP Winnipeg South Centre
Terry Duguid, MP Winnipeg South
Celébréz
Hon. Dan Vandal, MP Saint Boniface - Saint Vital
We Recognize & Celebrate NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY
Indigenous HAPPY NATIONAL PEOPLES DAY!
L’Université de Saint-Boniface reconnait l’apport des cultures métisses et autochtones, qui sont des pièces importantes de notre identité depuis nos humbles débuts en 1818.
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