Attendees will enjoy performances from Kinew Metis Council Youth Dancers, Sarah Shuttleworth Jigging, Jenny Foidart, Manitoba Opera, Contessa Lestrange, Brandi Vezina, Morgan Grace and Keith Ginther, plus there will be time for visiting, opening and closing ceremonies and prizes!
In Metis families, the kitchen table is where meetings, gatherings, sharing, and celebrations happen. Important, revolutionary discussions take place at the kitchen table.
It is common for Metis families to gather at the kitchen table and play the music, often the fiddle, guitar, and if you’re lucky – spoons! Families, neighbours and communities drink tea and laugh at the kitchen table and it is a safe sharing space and site for knowledge keepers to tell stories. The kitchen table is the traditional and historical space for the intergenerational transmission of Metis culture. The kitchen table is at the centre and heart of the home, as families are at the heart of Metis culture.
Watch the Panel
Make sure to visit the WAG to see these important exhibitions by Metis artists Rosalie Favell: Family Legacy & Tracy Charette Fehr Heartbeat of a Nation: Metis Women 250 Years
Metis Kitchen Table Teachings is a virtual series dedicated to the transmission of Metis knowledge and culture.
This panel was recorded on July 9, 2021, the recording begins about 10 minutes into the program, we apologize for the technical errors. Stay tuned for upcoming Metis Kitchen Table Teachings!
Now, as Kwaata-nihtaawakihk comes to a close (September 5), we caught up with curators Sherry Farrell Racette and Cathy Mattes for their reflections on this exhibition exploring Métis contributions to the birth, formation, and culture of this incredible province.
As Kwaata-nihtaawakihk: A Hard Birth comes to a close, how does it feel to have this exhibition out in the world?
Cathy Mattes: I am elated now that the exhibition is out in the world. We began this project four years ago, and with Covid-19 postponing things, there were moments of uncertainty. The opening was such a celebration, and we have been receiving positive feedback about the exhibition.
We’ve hosted events, workshops and gatherings in the Gathering Space in the exhibition for the duration of the show. These have been important cultural and artistic activations of the space.
What was the inspiration for this exhibition?
Sherry Farrell Racette: Pre-Covid, the exhibition was a Manitoba 150 exhibition – commemorating the Manitoba sesquicentennial. Manitoba’s birth was significantly different from other provinces, and we wanted to honour that. I heard stories of Riel stepping on the surveyors’ chain as a child. We had a house a couple of miles from the marker noting the border of the original postage-stamp province. These events are living histories in the Métis community. We consulted with Métis elder, Verna DeMontigny, asking for the word to describe a difficult birth, thinking of the process as a female being giving birth to the province.
CM: As a Métis women living in Southwest Manitoba (Wesman Local), my inspiration was my family and the Métis nation, past, present and future. The magnitude of our ancestors’ experience in forming the Province of Manitoba, and what it was like for them and other Indigenous people in the aftermath, was enormous. This exhibition is an opportunity to honour, celebrate, and really recognize the contributions and lived experiences of Métis, First Nations and our relationships with settlers in what is now known as Manitoba.
What are the key themes you wanted to explore in this show?
SFR: The creation of Manitoba was a Métis accomplishment, but the Red River Settlement was a diverse community – 80% Métis, but also Saulteaux and Cree villages, retired HBC traders, with a small group of recent arrivals from Ontario. We want to centre the tensions and connections. I’m not sure if it’s a theme, but we wanted to give viewers a sense of what was lost in the aftermath of 1870. So – beauty, conflict, resistance, but also resilience and continuity. Visually we are grounding it with three elements key to Manitoba: land, water, and sky.
CM: For me personally, the key themes, in addition to what Sherry has shared, is recognizing the importance of kinship ties, and how continuance and continuum is present in ancestral and contemporary art.
What do you hope this exhibition has communicated to the public?
SFR: Probably a combination of respect, celebration and sorrow. Things could have gone differently and it would have been better for all of us. Also awe for the amazing art. This was/is a strong creative community.
CM: For myself I want to remind the public of how this Province was formed, and the resilience of Métis and First Nations people then and now. I think this show communicates to the public the vitality of art in story-sharing, and I hope it’s also recognized as an instigator for conciliation and reconciliation.
Métis communities use a variety of languages, including Michif, French, and English. How did you approach language use in Kwaata-nihtaawakihk?
CM: For myself, art is itself a language, and the most centered one in the exhibition. Southern Michif is the heart language for the exhibition. The Michif language emerged from the Red River in the late 1700s and has four variants: Southern Michif, French Michif, Northern Michif and Bungi. Many ancestors spoke multiple Indigenous languages, particularly Nehiyawewin and Anishinaabemowin, in addition to French and English. We are grateful to Elder Verna DeMontigny, who gifted the name for the exhibition, and provided new titles of selected artworks in Southern Michif.
Since its inception, Sherry and I have always envisioned there would be events, workshops and gatherings in all languages known to be spoken by Metis peoples, past and present. While visual art remains the centered language, and Southern Michif the heart language, our wish is to provide opportunities to expose, introduce and consider the multiple languages ancestors spoke while art-making, negotiating, and sitting around the kitchen table and igniting home with laughter, love and beautiful art.
Can you tell us a little bit about one artist or object in the exhibition that you find special?
SFR: So hard to choose! I will do two. A central piece will be a large beaded picture frame commissioned from Métis artist, Jennine Krauchi, to present the iconic photograph of members of the Provisional Government. It is stunning. That’s all I can say! So lovingly and thoughtfully executed. Watching its creation has been a high spot for me as curator. The other is a watercolour by James Settee Jr. He was Cree/Métis teacher, and a member of St. Peter’s. He was Chief Prince’s secretary. His painting is a dramatic event in Métis-woman’s life that he either witnessed or heard.
CM: This is a tough question to answer for sure! I fell in love with the beautiful Metis sash when I first saw it in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada. I am so thrilled it will be in the show, and that it is being displayed in a manner that really honours the artistry and importance of the sash to Métis people. There are some great photo-based works in the exhibition that affirm the here and now, and the incredible resilience of our people. As well, there is stunning beadwork by ancestral and contemporary artists, and a collaboration between two artists that ignites reconciliation in ways that gives hope for the future.
Anything else you’d like to share?
SFR: With Covid delays and cancellations, curation has been a wild ride. I am so grateful to the lending institutions and artists, and of course the staff of the WAG who have been awesome, helpful, and never lost their enthusiasm for the exhibition.
We hoped to fill the gallery with people – laughter, tears, contemplation, visiting, and music – and we’ve done so much that we set out to do. This is a big story that we are still living today.
CM: Although Covid-19 continues to challenge us as co-curators, I am so incredibly grateful to the artists, lending institutions and especially the staff at the WAG, who have gone beyond and above to make this exhibition happen. Through their commitment and hard work on Kwaata-nihtaawakihk: A Hard Birth, they have honoured our ancestors and my family and nation, and for that I am humbled and appreciative.
Kwaata-nihtaawakihk: A Hard Birth closes September 5, 2022. Don’t miss your chance to witness this exceptional exhibition!
Fiola finds that, among the Metis, spirituality exists on a continuum of Indigenous and Christian traditions, and that Metis spirituality includes ceremonies. For some Metis, it is a historical continuation of the relationships their ancestral communities have had with ceremonies since time immemorial, and for others, it is a homecoming—a return to ceremony after some time away.
Fiola employs a Metis-specific and community-centred methodology to gather evidence from archives, priests’ correspondence, oral history, storytelling, and literature. With assistance from six Metis community researchers, Fiola listened to stories and experiences shared by thirty-two Metis from six Manitoba Metis communities that are at the heart of this book. They offer insight into their families’ relationships with land, community, culture, and religion, including factors that inhibit or nurture connection to ceremonies such as sweat lodge, Sundance, and the Midewiwin. Valuable profiles emerge for six historic Red River Metis communities (Duck Bay, Camperville, St Laurent, St François-Xavier, Ste Anne, and Lorette), providing a clearer understanding of identity, culture, and spirituality that uphold Metis Nation sovereignty.
Metis Kitchen Table Teachings is a virtual series dedicated to the transmission of Metis knowledge and culture.
Watch the discussion
The last few years has seen the term ‘pretendian’ coined to describe those who claim Indigenous heritage, however these often-prominent figures are outed as culture thieves with no ties to Indigenous communities. What can we do to protect Metis culture and identity? Why is this phenomenon happening and why is the Metis culture so seemingly susceptible?
Panelists: Minister Will Goodon, Laura Forsythe, Dr. Darryl Leroux, Dr. David Parent, Kyra De La Ronde. Moderated by Julia Lafreniere.
Metis Kitchen Table Teachings is a virtual series dedicated to the transmission of Metis knowledge and culture. Made possible with support from Manitoba Metis Federation and Infinity Women Secretariat.
However, many Manitobans are not familiar with this important history of the land they live on. Where did the Metis come from? What was Scrip? How was Scrip used as a tool of colonization? What role did Scrip play in the diaspora of the Metis Nation? William Benoit combs the threads of Manitoba’s history in his unique storytelling way.
William Benoit is the Advisor for Internal Indigenous Engagement in the Office of the Deputy Librarian and Archivist of Canada at Library and Archives Canada.
Metis Kitchen Table Teachings is a virtual series dedicated to the transmission of Metis knowledge and culture.
Watch world renowned Metis artist, Jennine Krauchi share a journey of the history of the Metis, our ancestors, and the truly amazing rebirth of our art form known as beadwork.
This online event was part of our Metis Kitchen Table Teachings series, dedicated to the transmission of Metis knowledge and culture.
Metis Kitchen Table Teachings is a virtual series dedicated to the transmission of Metis knowledge and culture.
Make sure to visit the WAG to see these important exhibitions by Metis artists Rosalie Favell: Family Legacy & Tracy Charette Fehr Heartbeat of a Nation: Metis Women 250 Years
Tracy Charette Fehr traces history of grandmothers, mothers, aunts, sisters and cousins
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Treaty 1 Territory and the Métis Nation Homeland, August 13, 2021: The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)-Qaumajuq is pleased to present Heartbeat of a Nation – Métis Women, 250 Years, a new exhibition of work from artist Tracy Charette Fehr.
Fehr marks 250 years by tracing the history of seven generations of Métis grandmothers, mothers, aunts, sisters and cousins, back to 1770. These stories are represented by 250 individually hand formed clay bowls on display in Nakishkamohk – the name given to the space between WAG and Qaumajuq by Métis Elder Verna Demontigny. These ceramic bowls blend traditional and contemporary hand building and firing techniques and are inspired by past generations of Métis creators and artists.
Though the Red River Métis are historically a matriarchal Nation, that tradition has eroded over time and Métis women have not been given due recognition for their role in the birth and cultural development of the Métis Nation. The intention of Heartbeat of a Nation is to acknowledge the strength, labour, and resiliency of Métis women in the community. At the close of the exhibition, the bowls will be gifted to 250 Métis Nation women across Manitoba.
As part of the exhibition’s programming, Métis Kitchen Table Teachings offers an educational series dedicated to the transmission of Métis Nation’s knowledge and culture. In partnership with the Manitoba Metis Federation and the Infinity Women Secretariat, WAG-Qaumajuq is very proud to highlight traditional teachings, including a video series featuring intergenerational family stories told by Métis women.
The public is invited to join us on the WAG rooftop on Friday, August 20, from 7-9PM for the free opening celebration featuring a Red River Métis fiddle jam with Morgan Grace, Tayler Flemming and Melissa St. Goddard, plus tea and bannock, hosted by Brandi Vezina and Holly Vezina.
Quick Facts:
- Tracy Charette Fehr is a Métis artist working primarily in thread, textile and clay. Her family has deep roots in the Red River Settlement of Winnipeg and in St. Malo/LaRochelle, Manitoba.
- Curated by Julia Lafreniere, Head of Indigenous Initiatives, and Riva Symko, Head of Collections & Exhibitions at WAG-Qaumajuq.
- Fehr marks 250 years and seven generations with 250 individually hand formed clay bowls.
- In partnership with the Infinity Women Secretariat and the Manitoba Metis Federation, each of the bowls displayed here will be gifted to individual Métis women across the province at the close of the exhibition.
- The opening celebration will take place at the WAG rooftop sculpture garden on Friday August 20 from 7-9PM.
- WAG-Qaumajuq in partnership with the Manitoba Metis Federation and the Infinity Women Secretariat, presents Métis Kitchen Table Teachings. A series of virtual events is dedicated to the transmission of Métis knowledge and culture. Visit wag.ca to learn more.
Quotes:
“Women have been at the heart of Métis community since the inception of our Nation. We are the rightful community leaders and thinkers, silenced by colonization. I’m very pleased to be co-curating this exhibition with my colleague Riva Symko, Head of Collections and Exhibitions, and I am grateful to be sharing the stories of our Matriarchs through the Métis Kitchen Table Teachings programming for this exhibition.”
— Julia Lafreniere, Head of Indigenous Initiatives, WAG-Qaumajuq
“Connecting and empowering Métis women across our Nation is the core function of the Infinity Women Secretariat – it’s also the work that lives closest to our hearts. Initiatives like this are vital to elevating our history, reminding all Canadians that the women of the Red River Métis played a critical role in the development of our families, our culture, our province and our country. It’s time for our stories to be told.”
— Anita Campbell, Spokeswoman, Infinity Women Secretariat
“I am so grateful for the opportunity to share my work in this exhibit. Making these 250 bowls has been my way of honouring Métis mothers, grandmothers, sisters and aunts. I hope that people will see the exhibit and join in celebrating the contributions, strength and resilience of Métis women.”
— Tracy Charette Fehr, Artist
Support
WAG-Qaumajuq thanks the Manitoba Metis Federation and the Infinity Women Secretariat.
Associated Links
Heartbeat of a Nation
Métis Kitchen Table Teachings
Stay Connected
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For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Amy Rebecca Harrison
Engagement Supervisor
Winnipeg Art Gallery
204.789.1347
aharrison@wag.ca
Kat Patenaude
Media Relations Advisor
Manitoba Metis Federation
204.801.7710
Kat.Patenaude@mmf.mb.ca
The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)-Qaumajuq is a cultural advocate using art to connect, inspire, and inform. Playing a dynamic role in the community, we are a place for learning, dialogue, and enjoyment through art. Opened in March 2021, Qaumajuq connects to the WAG on all levels, celebrating the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world. The new WAG-Qaumajuq cultural campus is now one of the largest art museums in Canada. To learn more visit wag.ca.
The Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF) is the democratic self-governing political representative for the Red River Métis. The Red River Métis are Canada’s partners in confederation and the founders of the province of Manitoba.
Using photographs, lenticular imagery, and paintings, contemporary artist Rosalie Favell pieces together the multiple, intersecting histories of Winnipeg and the Indigenous Peoples of the Red River settlement in this exhibition, which traces Favell’s family history to before the 1700s.
Coming this summer
Metis Kitchen Table Teachings – Join us in events that explore Metis identity, the history of scrip, a free beading workshop, and more! Details coming soon!
To plan your visit, check out wag.ca/visit.
