WAG-Qaumajuq to Host Full Day of Events for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Community is welcome to take part in events that centre the experiences and history of Indigenous children forced to attend Indian Residential Schools
Winnipeg, Manitoba, September 26, 2023: In partnership with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)-Qaumajuq welcomes the community to take part in a full day of tours, talks, panels, and workshops in honour of the third annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Saturday, September 30. All proceeds from admission will be donated to Sunshine House, Indigenous Peoples are always welcome for free.
The day’s program includes a series of talks including How to Read Historical Canadian Artworks Through a Decolonizing Lens with Dr. Riva Symko, WAG-Qaumajuq Head of Collections and Exhibitions, Reconciliation for Newcomers to Canada with Micael Nicolas Moura, Manager of Equity, and Journey Towards Reconciliation, a Conversation with WAG-Qaumajuq Director and CEO, Dr. Stephen Borys and Julia Lafrieniere, WAG-Qaumajuq Head of Indigenous Ways and Equity.
Join us as we launch a new tour, Truth and Reconciliation Through Art, where guests will learn about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the final report, and how the recommendations of the report can be implemented. Guests will also explore various Indigenous artists’ work and see examples of how they interpret reconciliation through art.
The day will also feature a presentation with Dr. Sean Carleton, How to Combat Residential School Denialism.
Join us for a special keynote address from Senator Mary Jane McCallum to close the day. A Life in Retrospect: Examining the Seven Generations of My Lived Experience will provide an introspective look at the Seven Generations of her life experience and how each of these respective stages served to form the person she is today.
September 30 is also the last day to participate in the Project of Heart workshop. Purchase a tile at the front desk and create an artwork to be displayed in Ilavut, all proceeds will be donated to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
Red Tent will be present throughout the duration of the event to provide education awareness around anti-oppression, safer spaces, and consent culture.
Schedule of Events:
11am-5pm • Project of Heart – Eckhardt Hall and Skylight Gallery
11:15am • Tour: Truth and Reconciliation Through Art – Galleries, 3rd Floor
12pm • Tour: Gasoline Rainbows & Anaanatta Unikkaangit – Galleries, 3rd Floor
1pm • Presentation: How to Read Historical Canadian Artworks Through a Decolonizing Lens with Dr. Riva Symko – Muriel Richardson Auditorium
1:30pm • Presentation: Reconciliation for Newcomers to Canada with Micael Nicolas Moura – Muriel Richardson Auditorium
2pm • Presentation: How to Combat Residential School Denialism with Dr. Sean Carleton – Muriel Richardson Auditorium
3pm • Conversation: Journey Towards Reconciliation, a Conversation with Dr. Stephen Borys and Julia Lafreniere – Muriel Richardson Auditorium
4pm • Keynote: A Life in Retrospect: Examining the Seven Generations of My Lived Experience with Senator Mary Jane McCallum – Muriel Richardson Auditorium
Quick Facts:
- The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a National Day of Remembrance for the Children who never returned home from state-sponsored Indian Residential Schools.
- The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) is a place of learning and dialogue where the truths of the residential school experience will be honoured and kept safe for future generations. The NCTR educates Canadians on the profound injustices inflicted on First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation by the forced removal of children to attend residential schools and the widespread abuse suffered in those schools.
- Senator Mary Jane McCallum is a First Nations woman of Cree heritage and an advocate for social justice who has provided dental care to First Nations communities across Manitoba over the course of her career and has managed community health programs including a children’s dental program, a diabetes program, and prenatal program.
- ShopWAG will be selling a selection of Survivors’ Flag merchandise from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation online and in store, 90% of proceeds will be donated to NCTR.
- All proceeds from admission to WAG-Qaumajuq on September 30 will be donated to the Sunshine House. Self-identifying Indigenous peoples are always welcome, free of charge.
Quotes:
“The National Day of Truth and Reconciliation should be acknowledged by all Canadians, as we commit to making a better country for our future ancestors. I look forward to honouring Survivors and educating settlers about allyship, decentering whiteness, and reconciliation using the power of art.”
— Julia Lafreniere, WAG-Qaumajuq Head of Indigenous Ways and Equity
“We thank all the speakers and panelists for joining us for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. I am humbled to be a part of this year’s programming and hope that the presentations, tours, and conversations that will be taking place provide education and understanding, and foster compassion and hope for a better future.”
— Stephen Borys, WAG-Qaumajuq Director and CEO
Partnerships
WAG-Qaumajuq thanks the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation for their partnership and all of the speakers and panelists for their time and wisdom.
Associated Links
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation @ WAG-Qaumajuq
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Orange Shirt Day
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For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Katryna Barske
Public Relations Officer
Winnipeg Art Gallery
204.789.1295
kbarske@wag.ca
About Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)-Qaumajuq
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.
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To plan your visit, check out wag.ca/visit.
