YORKTON — Stories, art and tradition came together at the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery as the opening of The Future is Ancestral on Oct. 25 transformed its space into a celebration of Indigenous culture, connection and community.
A sharing circle, a pipe ceremony and a community feast all attracted people. Curator Melanie Monique Rose, who hails from Regina and is of Métis descent, was pleased with the day’s activities.
Several people contributed to The Future is Ancestral. Kokum Brenda Dubois served as an advisor for the exhibit and Doreen Girard was the artistic director. The artists are Torrie Ironstar, Robyn Adams, Rhikee Strapp (also known as Miskwa the Mad Clown Prophet) and the Time Travel Collective of Nyle Miigizi Johnston, Virginia Eichhorn and Joel Richardson.
The activities started Oct. 24 when Ironstar, a member of the Carry the Kettle First Nations who now lives in Regina, led a workshop at the Dr. Brass Elementary School in Yorkton. Dubois and Rose joined Ironstar, who Rose noted is a deaf, two-spirit person.
“There was a lot of kids very fascinated with Torrie, especially because of Torrie’s deafness. We had an ESL interpreter with us as well,” said Rose.
The students created their own unique artwork and asked him questions.
For the sharing circle, Rose noted there are some rocks in the centre of the gallery, surrounded by pillows, that mimic a campfire. Participants gathered around for stories.
“Usually, a fire is a place where we sit and tell stories, so it was a really warm place to sit together and to share,” said Rose.
They also took inspiration from the medicine wheel with its colours and directions.
Rose noted some women who came shared how their mother was Indigenous and their father was white, and to protect them, the mother didn’t teach them about their Indigenous roots.
“They were really coming there to reconnect, and so it was really special to see that, and also to feel like they’re in a safe place to ask questions to Kokum Brenda. For example, one of them was how do I get my Spirit Name, and Kokum Brenda shared that with them, and I thought that the exchange in the circle was really powerful. There were even tears.”
Dubois also smudged the gallery.
Some of the students from the workshop also helped at the traditional feast and pipe ceremony in the land titles building. Elder Alvin Kehquatooway is from the Zagime Anishnabek First Nation conducted the feast with his helpers.
“A lot of the people there had never been to a traditional feast and pipe ceremony, including myself, and it was definitely a first for the land titles building and the art gallery,” said Rose.
Particular foods needed to be brought. The men served the food and nobody could eat until everyone was served. Some very specific foods were needed, including lard, and Rose noted they brought pork instead of beef lard, which she said was a mistake.
“Alvin actually shared with us the importance of the lard and the story behind that,” said Rose, who said she would never make that mistake again.
One of the students from the school workshop nibbled her bannock too early and was told not to. Rose asked the student if she would make the same mistake again; the youth said no, and Rose pointed out people often learn by making mistakes.
Rose said the pipe ceremony, conducted by an elder and youths in attendance, fit perfectly with the name of the exhibit.
“It felt like a beautiful circle of learning, bringing in teachings of our past and bringing them to the present and sharing them with the future of the children. I thought the pipe ceremony for everybody was a very special night,” she said.
Only one of the artists was able to travel to the gallery for the reception, so they had a Zoom call for the other contributors. A computer keyboard was set up so the public could interact with the artists.
"I was able to bring the artists around to look at the exhibition via Zoom. We had Torrie’s family come and travel, and Torrie’s sister come and see the exhibition,” said Rose.
Reading nooks in the foyer of the exhibition have book recommends from Rose and the artists, and the Yorkton Public Library is working to switch those out.
“It was just a lovely day of community and sharing, and I also think the beginning of some new things, potentially, for the gallery and the community.”
The exhibit looks “stunning”, she said, with its variety of mediums, symbolism and history. The exhibit talks about what is real reconciliation, and Rose said to have that, you need to have truth, but you also need a relationship. A booklet at the gallery has more information on the artists and their stories.
Rose is no stranger to the Godfrey Dean, as in 2021, she had a solo exhibit named The Flower People in which she had her own art. It was good to be a curator and bring artists into the space, and to work with and collaborate with Girard.
“As a curator, I really wanted to work from a place of abundance, and Doreen really allowed to do that as much as possible, and I really appreciate that, because when we’re thinking to the future, I want to think of the future as an abundant place.”
