The Art of Sovereignty
The Art of Sovereignty
Our stories define who we are. When Indigenous cultures were outlawed across Canada, our voices were silenced. When our stories went underground to survive, others tried to define us. But it was our artists who brought our stories back for the world to see and hear. Join hosts Chris Beaver and Shelby Lisk as they explore the lives of eight First Nations artists whose art reclaims our voices a…Social links:
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Bonnie Devine
Growing up, Bonnie Devine's grandfather warned her to stay away from the bright yellow piles of powder in her community of Serpent River Anishinabek Nation. Little did she know that those yellow triangles would turn up years later in her art practice as she explored natural resource extraction and …
27:37
Robert Davidson
Growing up, Robert Davidson's Haida culture was so oppressed, he had no idea he was Indigenous. Colonization was devastating his people. It had touched everything from their way of life and their environment to the arts. Host Chris Beaver speaks with Davidson about how in the final hour of his fa…
30:21
Faye HeavyShield
What makes something Indigenous art? For Kainai artist Faye HeavyShield, Indigenous art is not just one thing. It is personal, and for HeavyShield, tied deeply to her story as a woman from the Blood reserve in Southern Alberta. Throughout her career, she has pushed her art into new realms, expressi…
27:29
Carl Beam
As an Indigenous artist, Carl Beam was often told that his art didn't look "Indigenous enough." Throughout his career, Beam pushed back against this, rebelling against cultural categorization. As he fought the stereotypes, he opened the door for other contemporary Indigenous artists. Host Chris Be…
31:48
Robert Houle
For Saulteaux artist Robert Houle, art has always been political. From the Indian Act to the Oka Crisis and more, Houle has spent his career using his art to address the injustices facing Indigenous communities. Host Shelby Lisk explores how Houle’s artwork emphasizes the importance of Land as a s…
31:20
Alex Janvier
"[It's time] Indians become landlords again." For artist Alex Janvier, Denesuline, from Cold Lake First Nation, sovereignty and land are inextricably tied to one another. It is a relationship that signals responsibility and reciprocity rather than dominance and subjugation. Throughout his long and…
32:03
Daphne Odjig
Host Shelby Lisk speaks with Anishinaabe curator and artist Bonnie Devine about Daphne Odjig, the matriarch of contemporary Indigenous arts in Canada. Most well-known for painting family life, colonial history, and Anishinaabe legends, Odjig pushed back against what the art market demanded of her a…
33:38
Norval Morrisseau
Host Chris Beaver speaks with Anishinaabe curator Wanda Nanibush and Scots-Lakota scholar Carmen Robertson about Norval Morrisseau, who invented the First Nations abstract art style known as the Woodland School. The episode delves into the stereotypes that attached themselves to Morrisseau's work …
30:22
Introducing the Art of Sovereignty
When Indigenous cultures were outlawed across Canada, generations of voices were silenced. Join Indigenous journalists Chris Beaver and Shelby Lisk as they uncover the history and lives of eight First Nations artists who brought those stories back for the world to see and hear. This story of resurg…
01:11