English / Ojibwe / Cree

EXHIBITION / WAABANDA’IWEM / NÓKOTÁWINA

Main Gallery: Catherine Forest, Jessica Canard, Scott Benesiinaabandan
MFMG: Bret Parenteau

Urban Shaman Gallery
Opening Reception / Baakinigaadeg / Káwí páskiténikáték wíkokéwin:
Friday June 7 2019 at 8 pm – 11:00 pm
Running Dates / Aaniin Dasing / Ispík ké nokoki:
Friday June 7 – Saturday, July 20 2019

English / Ojibwe / Cree

Curatorial Statement / Niigaan Ikidowin / Okinawénicikéw opíkiskwéwin:

Out of the twenty thousand to one hundred thousand words the typical English speaking adult knows, the word sugarcoated is a go-to description used by different people in different situations to describe the rhetoric surrounding indigenous rights. Many agree. From works of four artists, our attention sways between the different thoughts and emotions that are felt when unpacking that sugar coated language. The selected artworks are only a few prototypes of basic level categories of indigenous cognition that are often omitted in consideration in interpretations of reality. Throughout the exhibition, the viewer is given one key piece of information and is to then build on those word relationships producing many different possibilities of discourse. The works of Catherine Forest displays the human condition in three different ceramic projects.  New works by Bret Parenteau draws from our semantic memory with different schemas through ensembles of auditory and visual imagery.  Scott Benesiinaabandan’s phonetic approach brings to light the word sounds of nature vs. nurture. And new work from Jessica Canard’s mixed media practice, whole words beaded in syllabics on canvas offering hope for the future of indigenous language preservation despite its oppression.

Imaa onji niizhing niishtana daswaak akoo ningodwaak midaaswaak ikidowinan, mii minik awiya aabajitood zhaaganaashiimod. Iwe ji-minwaadaman ekidong dazhindamowaad Anishinaabe ogashki’ewiziwiniwaan. Niibowe debwetamoog. Niiwin omazinichigeg, bebakaan gidayinendaamin apii gagetin dazhindamang gegoon waawiimaajimong. Gaa-gagiiginigaadegin ji-gikendamookeng aaniin ji-inaabanjigaadegiban gegoon gagetin ayizhisenig. Imaa Waabanda’iwewining, bezhigwewig miinaa ge-waabanjiged aaniin ayikidong aaniin gegoon inwaadegiban. Niswi gegoon Catherine Forest waabanda’iwe odoozhijiishkiwagining aaniin enaadizing. Bret Parentau odooshki-ozhichiganan mamikoonge bizinjiganiwing, waabanjiganing gaye. Zhigwa Scott Benesiinaabandan waabanda’iwe aaniin enitaagwak bagwaji-aya’ii dago ombitwaawin. Ishkwaach wiin Jessica Canard oginigawinaan bebakaan gegoon, ozhibii’iganan manidoominensikaadegin ji-bagosendaming ji-ganawenjigaadegin Anishinaabe inwewinan aanawi-gichiiwishkigaadegin.

Inikok anihi mámaw nísotanaw kici mitátomitamaw isko mitátomitanaw kici mitátomitanaw ká ayát ayamiwina ana Émistikósiw, anima itwéwin ká siwinikáték ayíw anima ká itakik ká isi nisitawinakik kákí wítamácik nanátok Anisininiwak nanátok ká isi nisitotakik anima ká isi paminit awa Ininiw anihi oci Kici Okimáwiwin asotamákéwina. Miscét tápwétamwak. Anihi ká ositácik kékwána néyo itowa otápasinahikéwak/onikamowak, ki natoténaw tánisi pá pakán ési mamitonénitamak éko étamaciskákoyak ispík mina ékwániw píkiskwéwina ékosi anima é isi ápataki. Ékwani óhi átit ká nókotániwaki tápasinahikana ékwani óhi piko átit ká isi ápataki ta nókotániwak tánisi ési nistomi nisitocikátéki anihi Ininíwi nisitawinamowina mána éká ká wícikátéki ispík nanátok wéká pakán ká isi kakwé wícikáték anihi ásay tapwénitamowi kiskénitamowina é takoki. Kakinaw ohi ká isi nókotániwaki nanátok tápasinahikana, ana ká kinawápatak péyak piko kéwán isi wápatinaw ta kiskénitak óma kékwániw ká kinawápatok, éko táti nakastát anihi isi kiskénitamowina ká isi wítamát inikok ta nisitotak óma tánisi pá pakán ési nókotániwaki óhi Ininíwi macipanihikona. Anihi ká ositát ana Catherine Frost ká iti nókotáw ékota tánisi óma ká isi kitimácihot awa Ininiw nisto anihi asiníy wanákana tápasinakéwina é ápacitát. Oskáyi kékwána kákí ositát Brad Parenteau ká itit nókotáw anihi ásay ká isi nisitotamak ékó ká isi kiskisiyak kékwána é ápacitát nanátowi nókotáwina ká isi pétákamotániwaki éko ká isi tápasinahikástéki. Scott Benesínábandan ká iti wína masinaham kita nisitotamonániwaniki tánisi óma ké ititákok pakwacáyik inikok kita moci wítaman wéká kita pétákamotáyan nántaw isi. Éko anihi oskáyi ositáwina kákí pétát Jessica Canard kákí mámawi ápacitát ta nókotát káwí itwét, Ininíwi ayamiwina é míkisistayikáték nakástimonékinok wina é pakosénimot óma kita kinawénicikátek kinowés kita ápatak anima Ininíwi píkiskwéwin kiyán wina ina piko inikok éká ké isi kiskénitakok é isi kisténitakok kiyápic.

Special thank you to the Winnipeg Foundation, The Benevity Community Impact Fund for support of [shooger-koht-ed] which is part of the project Sacred Sounds: The Legacy of Anishinaabemowin.