Aux confluents de l’Akiawenhrahk
Appreciation or appropriation?
Discussion on cultural appropriation in a creative context
With Catherine Boivin, Marilou Craft, Noel Habel, and Angela Marsh
Moderators: Andrée Levesque Sioui and Sarah Toung ondo
At La Charpente des fauves, Onyionwentsïio’
As part of the Campus Multi
February 15, 2024
When we were thinking about the themes for the various public discussions, we noticed that we ended up talking very little about creation. How ironic for artist-run centres! For this second discussion, we therefore decided to explore the issue of cultural appreciation and appropriation in the context of creation. We had attempted to address this topic in the past and realized how sensitive it was for many people. We therefore decided to invite Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists from various disciplines and communities to participate in this conversation. Each participant shared their personal vision and experiences in relation to issues of cultural appropriation and its contexts. The speakers addressed issues of responsibility, whether chosen or imposed on artists, of ensuring vigilance or being a spokesperson for a community through their creative work, and of identifying the differences between sharing knowledge and cultures and appropriation in collaborative contexts. In the words of Noel Habel, the idea behind this conversation was to find a balance between relevant information and each person's lived experiences.
When we considered the public discussions organized as part of our alliance project, our goal was to share our thoughts and questions and to help other organizations and members of the arts community in their reflections on these issues. That is also why we recorded each of the discussions to turn them into podcasts. The podcast for this workshop is available here!
Invité.e.s
Catherine Boivin is an Atikamekw Nehirowisiw living in the Abenaki community of Odanak and originally from the community of Wemotaci. She participated in the group exhibition De tabac et de foin d'odeur. Là où sont nos rêves (2019, Musée de Joliette). A marathon runner, fancy shawl dancer, speaker, and activist, Catherine Boivin wears many hats, including that of content creator, raising awareness of Indigenous issues on social media.
Marilou Craft works in Tiohtià:ke/Mooniyaang (Montreal) as an artist of words, performance, indiscipline, and scheming. She is also a translator, dramaturgical advisor associated with the Centre des auteurs dramatiques (CEAD), and a member of the editorial board of the poetry journal Estuaire.
Noel Habel is a member of the Sioux Valley Dakota First Nation community. He works as a program officer for the Canada Council for the Arts, helping Indigenous artists pursue their projects and career goals. A musician, he has played in several bands as a percussionist. He is also developing an alter ego, William C. Wikcemna Yamni Ake Wanzi.
Angela Marsh is originally from Toronto and now lives in Quebec City, on the unceded territory of Onyionhwentsïio' of the Wendat Nation, where she creates artistic, ecological, and relational projects that are the result of a continuous search for reciprocity and learning about living things. Angela holds a Master's degree in Visual Arts from Université Laval (2019) and a Master's degree in Education (2004) from the University of Toronto.
Moderators
Born in Quebec City, Andrée Levesque Sioui is a multi-talented Wendat artist. A singer, melodist, author, poet, and arrowmaker, she also teaches the Wendat language to young people in Wendake. After a journey that took her to different regions of Quebec, she returned to her grandmother's community in the 2000s. Already multilingual, she decided to get involved in the Yawenda revitalization project. The Wendat language became the focus of her artistic endeavors. Although she had always loved reading and writing, her musical career developed before her literary one. She participated in the creation of several albums, including Yahndawa' (2011), Fais dodo mon trésor (2012), and Ozalik (2013).
A multidisciplinary artist of French and Gabonese descent living in Quebec City, Sarah Toung Ondo is a jack of all trades who loves to explore different mediums. This taste for diversity allows her to question the links between art, intimacy, and society through the prism of cultural mixing.
Thank you to our partners Charpentes des fauves + mois multi