By Victoria Adams, Assistant Curator for Oceania, Africa,
and the Americas, National Museums Scotland
In 2019 I received a travel fellowship to the
Association of Art Museum Curators & AAMC Foundation conference in New York, with subsequent follow-up funding also supported and coordinated by
Art Fund. Using
information and contacts gained at the conference, I scheduled visits to museums and art
galleries in Ottawa and Toronto displaying indigenous collections, and arranged meetings with museum
professionals and academics actively engaged in collaborative working with
indigenous communities. As well as learning from colleagues’ experiences and
seeing examples of best practice, I also hoped to raise the profile of National
Museums Scotland’s indigenous Americas collections.
I met
over twenty colleagues from the Royal Ontario Museum, Art Gallery
Ontario and Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, and the Canadian Museum of History and
National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa; academics from OCAD University in Toronto
and Carleton University in Ottawa, and the directors of OCAD University’s
Onsite Gallery, and the Indigenous Art Centre, part of the government
department of Corporate Secretariat Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern
Affairs Canada. Several
colleagues were of indigenous ancestry, and everyone gave me valuable insights
into working with and representing indigenous communities in museums and
galleries. I heard many different perspectives and experiences, and
received both encouragement and resources with which to further develop National
Museum Scotland’s interpretation.
Almost
everyone I met mentioned the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission of Canada (2015), and its impact on museums and galleries. Thousands of testimonies were collected from people
affected by Indian Residential Schools, a system that existed from the 1880s to
1996. More than 150,000 indigenous children were forcibly removed
from their families, denied their traditional languages, dress, beliefs and cultural
identity, with an enforced Christian education to “civilise” and “assimilate”, "to
kill the Indian in the child". Abuse was rife, and mortality rates high. Results
of this enquiry included financial compensation for survivors, and 94 ‘calls to action’ issued by the Government. Alongside the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007), museums and galleries’ subsequent policies now include
increased education and commemoration of indigenous histories, as well as
increased access to collections and archival material. In practice this also
includes repatriation, community consultation, increased indigenous
representation in the workforce, and increased cultural sensitivity and
awareness. For example, between 1884 to 1951 Government legislation made
indigenous ceremonies such as the potlatch, powwow and sun dance illegal, and
regalia and other material seized during raids is now found in museums across
the world; in recognition these are now increasingly being made available for community
visits and repatriation requests.
Quillwork shoes in open storage at the Bata Museum, Toronto
My first visit was to Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, and Manager
of Exhibitions and Assistant Curator Nishi Bassi was very helpful in sharing
her experiences of beginning the process of decolonising the museum, and reassessing
previous more traditional approaches to interpretation and display. The on-site
open storage of over 13,000 shoes was visually stunning, as founder Sonja Bata
intended; particularly of interest to me were the Arctic collections and the
current exhibition on ‘Art
and Innovation’ of Arctic footwear. The Bata collection was acquired with a
strong focus on decorative techniques, materials and design; National Museums
Scotland’s Arctic and North American collections complement these with our
historic, often more utilitarian examples, with known history and provenance.
The Royal Ontario Museum is comparable to National Museums
Scotland in being an encyclopaedic museum, with a broad range of collections
from the impressive dinosaur skeletons, through natural history and decorative
arts, to world cultures. The Daphne Cockwell Gallery dedicated to First
Peoples art & culture was reopened in 2018 in a better location and
with free entry to encourage access. When I visited, they were recruiting for a
Curator of Indigenous Art and Cultures, with an expectation that the successful
candidate would reshape the displays of indigenous material, and steer the
museum forward in terms of reframing indigenous material within the ‘Canadian’
history galleries, as well as building relationships and increasing reach
beyond the institutional walls. They will be well supported by the Learning
Department, including J'net Ayayqwayaksheelth,
Indigenous Outreach and Learning Coordinator. J’net made a particular impact on
my trip, as she combines passionate beliefs with practical innovative
approaches to making both collections and indigenous knowledge accessible, such
as daily gallery interactions, staff training, and regular Facebook Live ‘Indigenous
Insights’ facilitated by indigenous colleagues, volunteers, and members of
the museum’s Indigenous
Youth Cabinet. She spoke forcefully on the importance of changing
institutions from the inside, with the support of management, leaders and politicians;
offering opportunities to indigenous people, and continuing to address social
inequalities. Changes that might appear small, such as updating the claim
that ‘Christopher Columbus Discovers America’ on a historical ‘tree cookie’,
and installing a tobacco offering box in the First People’s Gallery, actually
represent larger changes in attitude within the institution, although work is
ongoing.
 |
| Tobacco offering box in the Daphne Cockwell Gallery dedicated to First Peoples art and culture at the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto |
One of my most anticipated visits was to the Canadian
Museum of History, where eight colleagues were very generous in
sharing their time with me. With
the Westminster-inspired architecture of the Canadian Parliament looming over
the river and visible through the many plate-glass windows, and the
imminent federal election making many people nervous about changing political
priorities, it did seem that both here and at the nearby National Gallery of
Canada, strong political influences shaped their messaging and displays,
perhaps even more than at the other institutions I visited. The Canadian Museum
of History has run an Indigenous
Internship Program for an impressive 27 years. Interns are of all ages and
at various life stages, including both the start and end of their careers. As
well as the Indigenous
Advisory Committee (one of six advisory committees), positions on the Board
of Trustees are reserved for First Nations, Inuit and Métis
representatives.
The magnificent museum and storage buildings were designed
by renowned indigenous architect Douglas
Cardinal, who also designed the National
Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. The most well-known
gallery is the Grand Hall, which houses an impressive collection of carved
poles (often incorrectly called ‘totem poles’), as well as reconstructions of
six North West Coast houses, containing historical and contemporary art,
regalia, tools and equipment. Behind the Grand Hall are the meandering
galleries of the Canadian History Hall, where indigenous creation stories,
mythologies and personal experiences are given equal gallery space to more
Eurocentric chronologies, highlighting diverse perceptions of time, origins and
history.
 |
| The Grand Hall at the Canadian Museum of History Ottawa |
I met colleagues
from both the Curatorial and Repatriation and Indigenous Relations departments, who offered insights into
the many challenges and rewards of caring for a national collection with complex
and evolving histories. Three curators generously shared
their experiences of designing an exhibition in collaboration with indigenous
participants. They reiterated the importance of investing substantial time and
resources for the reciprocal benefit of both the museum and indigenous
communities, building respectful and meaningful relationships, and being clear
and realistic about the expectations of all involved.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Indigenous Art Centre, as it’s
more of a government department than a visitor attraction, with only a small
temporary display space in the lobby. In fact, this is a huge and under-used resource
of indigenous art, collected since the 1960s, and available for long- and
short-term loan to national and international exhibitions. Actively collecting
with an indigenous board and director, it has always reflected current trends
and emerging artists, quite distinct from collections in larger institutions
which target mature works by established artists, often selected in comparison
to the European canon. For any curators looking to borrow contemporary
indigenous art, this is an excellent resource with great potential for the
future.
 |
Entrance area to the historical
galleries at the
National Gallery of Canada,
including contemporary and
ancestral pieces.
|
Unfortunately
the timing of my visit to the National Gallery of Canada just missed the opening of Àbadakone
| Continuous Fire | Feu continuel, the second of a series of exhibitions
of international contemporary indigenous art. However, the permanent galleries
more than made up for this. Recently redisplayed and opened in 2017, through
judicious use of loans (many from the nearby Canadian Museum of History), the juxtaposition
of historic settler and indigenous art creates dialogues of trade and
influence. A large birch bark canoe in the centre of one gallery signifies the
indigenous presence missing from the iconic landscapes of the Group of Seven artists.
The entrance to the Canadian and Indigenous galleries houses a striking mixture
of historical and contemporary indigenous pieces, including contemporary pieces
made using traditional techniques, themes and symbolism, to challenge the
viewer’s perception of what is old and new. Although not all of the objects’
histories are described, nor the selection processes explained, Alexandra
Kahsenni:io Nahwegahbow, Associate
Curator of Historical Indigenous Art explained that the Gallery
continues to work closely with two Indigenous Advisory Committees on how to
welcome and care for historical artefacts that are seen as direct embodiments
of ancestors. Further information on this ongoing relationship can be found in
an article here.
 |
| Birch bark canoe in
front of works by Canada’s famous Group of Seven artists in the National
Gallery of Canada. |
The Art Gallery Ontario has several outstanding galleries of indigenous artists’
work, unflinchingly dealing with issues of identity, colonialism and social
inequality. I saw evidence of appreciation of this on a feedback card
apparently written that day, which read: “I’m happy to see my indigenous
peoples expressions and realities in the same space of a lot of those people
who denied them that right. We still have plenty to say and plenty to share.”
Although classified together as ‘Indigenous and Canadian
art’, works by indigenous artists and settlers are generally hung in separate
galleries, with the exception of a few cases of three-dimensional indigenous
material amongst the settler paintings. A couple of juxtapositions did speak
eloquently though, such as two works by Group of Seven artist Lawren Harris (1885–1970)
inserted amongst politicised contemporary pieces by indigenous artists. The
accompanying label described how Harris’ “vast and unpopulated vistas…helped
reinforce colonial narratives of the country as an expansive and untouched
terrain”. In one of the first galleries near the entrance, Emily Carr’s iconic untitled work, previously called ‘Indian Church’ (1929) and recently
renamed ‘Church in Yuquot Village’, faces Sonny Assu’s ‘Re-Invaders: Digital
Intervention on an Emily Carr Painting (Indian Church, 1929)’ (2014). Both
paintings dramatically flank Adrian Stimson’s ‘Old Sun’ (2005), a
powerful installation combining buffalo skin, steel, sand, a light from the Old
Sun Residential School, and an ominous shadowy representation of the British
Union flag.
 |
Adrian Stimson’s
‘Old Sun’ (2005) framed by
Emily Carr’s iconic ‘Indian Church’ (1929), renamed ‘Church in Yuquot Village’, and Sonny Assu’s ‘Re-Invaders: Digital Intervention on an Emily Carr Painting (Indian Church, 1929)’ (2014) at the Art Gallery Ontario |
At the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) University’s Onsite Gallery, I visited a temporary exhibition of indigenous art from around the circumpolar world, entitled ‘Among All These Tundras’. I joined a tour led by Ryan Rice, independent curator and Associate Dean, and before the tour he told me about his previous roles representing indigenous artists and curators. Although he remained critical of many major galleries and museums, “doors were now opening, and getting wider”. He explained how smaller independent galleries such as Onsite can often offer more opportunities to emerging indigenous artists, although perhaps the same could be said for non-indigenous artists as well.
My
penultimate meeting was with Professor Ruth
Phillips,
Co-director of Great Lakes
Research Alliance for the Study of Aboriginal Arts & Cultures (GRASAC), and
Canada Research Chair in Modern Cultures at Carleton University. An authoritative
figure, she was reassuring in her position that the perspectives of indigenous artists
and non-indigenous academics were both valid, as long as both are grounded in
respect, with ongoing dialogue and exchange. She emphasised the importance of
research, particularly into provenance, and the complexities of repatriation
for artefacts acquired as diplomatic gifts and trade items. Echoing Dr Tim
Foran, Curator of British North America at the Canadian Museum of History, she highlighted
the nuances of trade and personal relationships, intermarriage, gift-giving and
obligation, and the dangers of emotive generalisation and absolutism. Nowadays
much can be learnt through digital exchange, collaboration, and consultation
with both historical archives and contemporary specialists. Ancestral knowledge,
practical skills, techniques, and traditions can be rediscovered and re-understood,
reconnecting generations, communities, and individuals around the world.
Finally, she emphasised the Reconciliation aspect of the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission; that the real gains are now to be made in working
together, rather than perpetuating divisions.
This trip
was a fantastic opportunity to immerse myself in some of Canada’s pre-eminent
museums and galleries, to meet practitioners leading the way in representing
and integrating both indigenous and settler perspectives into core narratives
and displays. As museums
continue to confront the legacies of empire, and as we all face global issues
of health and climate chaos, this research trip to Canada reinforced for me the
importance of putting communities, collaboration and communication at the heart
of everything we do.
This trip was made possible with support from the
Association of Art Museum Curators & AAMC Foundation and Art Fund.
