In huge neon, Joi Arcand is rewriting everyday signs — in Cree

Joi T. Arcand. ᓂᓄᐦᑌ ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐘᐣ (ninohtē-nēhiyawān), 2017.⁠ Neon. Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, 2018-11.⁠

‘The language wasn’t lost — it was taken. And we’re here to take it back.’

For visual artist Joi Arcand, the written Cree language is not only imbued with cultural significance — it’s an aesthetically beautiful form all unto itself. She believes that the Cree language deserves to be more visible to the general public.

In this CBC video, you’ll see how Arcand is exploring this concept using neon signage in her installation at the Winnipeg Art Gallery’s Insurgence/Resurgence exhibition.