6 | NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY
SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2022
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ground, recalls the scale and carved forms of the North as well as the artwork housed within. To support authentic representation and to fully participate in conversations of reconciliation, in 2017, the gallery established an Indigenous Advisory Circle with representatives from the four regions of Inuit Nunangat, plus urban Inuit, circumpolar Inuit, First Nations and Métis communities. The Circle is at the heart of the WAG’s decolonization and indigenization efforts. The WAG recognizes that the history of their Indigenous collection is tied to the ongoing history of colonialism in North America and aspires to shed light on this history and provide a platform for Indigenous voices and storytelling. “The Indigenous Advisory role is made up of different people from different cultures, and what they do is look at our work and tell us what we should be doing and reviewing, making suggestions, ensuring that we're on a good path,” explains Hanna Waswa, WAG public relations officer. “The other major piece of their work has been naming spaces and making sure that each space has an Indigenous name. One of the most important things is from a culture is their language.” In 2020, a group of Indigenous language
keepers and elders gathered to name the Winnipeg Art Gallery and Inuit art centre buildings, as well as the spaces within. The Winnipeg Art Gallery was given an Ojibway name Biindigin Biwaasaeyaah [pronounced BEEN-deh-gen Bi-WAH-say-yah], which means “Come on in, the dawn of light is here,” recognizing the evolution of the gallery with the opening of the Inuit art centre Qaumajuq, [pronounced kow-ma-yourk, or how-ma-yourk] an Inuktitut word meaning “It is bright, it is lit.” “We bring art together from different cultures, from different time periods, and there is so much that we can learn and grow to appreciate about each other because these things really connect in a way that's more human. These are the expressions of a person's being, a person's spirit, and those things are massively important to reconciliation and decolonization,” says Waswa. Recognizing that each artwork has a spirit that must be honoured and cared for and, as Treaty 1 territory is not the original homeland of many of its pieces, ceremony and prayer performed by Indigenous elders take place regularly in the vaults for all of the art. WAG-Qaumajuq acts as a steward, caring for the artworks, so that the stories and teachings can be shared and act as
Abraham Kingmiaqtuq Canadian (Taloyoak), 1933–c. 1990 Shaman Holding Knife, 1974 stone, antler.
David Ruben Piqtoukun. Inuit (Paulatuk), b. 1950. Airplane, 1995. Brazilian soapstone, African wonderstone.
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For us, these are core values, so making business decisions that bring positive impact to our members, our communities and the environment is always at the heart of what we do. As we celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, we remain committed to meaningful actions of reconciliation, and look forward to continuing this important journey together. acu.ca
The Assembly of Manitoba Chief’s Jordan’s Principle recognizes National Peoples Indigenous Day as a day to share time and celebrate with family and friends. s P
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