ABORIGINAL ART: MUCH MORE THAN A TRADITION
Interview with artist Teharihulen Michel Savard:
The Ahkwayaonhkeh Artist-run Centre (Wendat translation: old moccasins) can be found in the heart of beautiful Québec City. This must-see location has recently been found under the ancestral colonial stones of the buildings lining the city’s center. It serves to remind the general public through arts and culture that these lands, unceded by the Wendat, are much more than a story.
Reconciliation, but yet…
When I first bring up the topic of reconciliation with Mr. Savard, he questions me. Who proposed the theme of reconciliation? Who needs to reconcile? These simple inquiries lead me to question myself as well. Would it not be simpler to ask the Aboriginal nations what they really need beyond this reconciliation knowingly brought about by current political representatives? According to
Mr. Savard, reconciliation is not the theme of the hour in the various artistic representations offered by the Centre. For him, the different nations that have the chance to see artists exhibit in an Indigenous artistic and cultural space meet their neighbors by talking about their history both in tradition and in the shattering ability to express themselves on current events.
Tradition, and much more
The doors of the Ahkwayaonhkeh Centre are open free of charge to passers-by, tourists, cultural experts, curious folks young and old, and all the blessed people who want to encounter Indigenous art. Those who take the time to attend a centre like this will have the opportunity to meet creators and to understand their artistic approaches. They will hear about the past, about history, about tradition, and the current affairs and passions that ignite the hearts of Indigenous artists. The wooden canoe, moccasins, canvas and quilts invite people to stop in a space of sharing, to let go.
What about tomorrow?
For decades, Wendat men and women have dreamed of being able to speak to the world through their arts. Mr. Savard says that this is certainly the objective behind many of the Aboriginal arts and cultural centres created across Canada. When I ask him “what about tomorrow?” The vision is to allow children from different Indigenous nations present and future to express themselves equally freely, to enjoy this magnificent legacy that a place like the Ahkwayaonhkeh Artist-run Centre represents.
First Exhibition – Photo credits go to Vincent Drouin.
Respectfully submitted by,
UVAE Human Rights Committee
