KANATA a Gathering Place in Honour of Canada’S Indigenous Peoples
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KANATA A gathering place in honour of Canada’s Indigenous Peoples of the 19th century, and found one in the which acted as a record television character of SOUL SEARCHING of the exploits and Xena: Warrior Princess. history of the maker. One of my adven- The quest to find one’s place in the world never really ends, This work also explores tures, “I Awoke to the realization of the Find My Spirit Had but the journey itself is enriching in so many ways heroes in my life, strong Returned,” speaks by Rosalie Favell, Winnipeg women—my mother, about the desire to go my sisters, my aunts home while at the same have always loved mean something more tion of searching for ing, I discovered the and my grandmothers. time questioning where photographs, and I to me. At the same a way to comment on history of the Métis I placed images of these home is. This work was Iwas very influenced time, I decided I needed the worlds that I live in, people of the Red River, women with warrior especially important by the photos of my to look at who I was, investigating issues of and the Canadian women from popular in that I connected family. As I started to and the colour of my personal and cultural experience. culture that in turn personal and cultural study photography, I skin was an issue. I had identities. As a Métis Over the years in highlighted their quiet histories through the continued to point the grown up not knowing woman, I am well my art practice, I have heroism. In this work, characters of Xena: camera at my family. my cultural heritage; I versed in the difficulties created many different I had turned to family Warrior Princess, I began to discover was not connected to it of defining cultural bodies of work. In my snapshots in hopes that Dorothy (from the more about my Métis and I needed answers. identity. It is from this earlier series, “Longing by revisiting my early classic story of the heritage. When I first My quest to find my unique perspective that and Not Belonging,” I years, I would discover Wizard of Oz) and learned photography, place in the world has I map the territory that explore the similarities visual evidence, clues, Louis Riel. The follow- it wasn’t enough that I taken me many places Aboriginal artists must between the family to explain the shaping ing quote from Riel knew how to take pic- physically, intellectually navigate in imaging photo album and the of my identity, and to is often referenced tures and make prints. and spiritually. My work themselves. ledger art of the plains better situate myself (including in my work): I wanted the works to comes from a culmina- Through my search- warrior artist at the turn as a contemporary “My people will sleep Native woman. for one hundred years The images from my and when they awake, series, “Plain(s) Warrior it will be the artist that Artist,” depict this gives them their spirit continuing struggle back.” Riel as prophet to find my place in (or Wizard of Oz) tells the world, only a shift us that everything we has occurred—instead need is right inside of of looking outside for us, that all roads lead a hero, I became one. to home, and that being I had always been true to our people is the searching for a hero way to recovering our pride and self-respect. From far left: Samples In “The Collector” of Rosalie’s “From (2005), I insert myself an Early Age Revisited” into a painting by the series; Rosalie in the American Victorian buffalo robe which was collector, Charles PHOTO: MAREE CLARKE created as a group Wilson Peale. The initiative. original painting links 24 Our Canada APRIL / MAY 2019 25 natural history and that coupled with the At the time, I became them, and by revisiting museum practices opportunity of going increasingly aware of these photographs of that included collecting to The Banff Centre in the colour of my skin. the past, I can again Aboriginal peoples’ 2008 and seeing all I began to examine my explore how identity is PHOTO: LARRY GLAWSON PHOTO: LARRY artifacts. In order to these artists together background through created and recreated ABOUT THE ARTIST ROSALIE FAVELL disrupt this colonial as a group, made me snapshots that my through many different view, I insert aspects want to embark upon parents, primarily my contexts, events and Rosalie is a photo-based artist, born in Winnipeg. Drawing of my cultural heritage this documentary mother, had taken in communities. I am able inspiration from her family history and Métis (Cree/Eng- into the work. Images project. I have contin- the early 1960s of the to infuse the static lish) heritage, she uses a variety of sources, from family taken from my family ued to photograph family. I looked at my photograph with albums to popular culture, to present a complex self-por- album appear as a way artists in different cities family album, hoping memories, real and trait of her experiences as a contemporary Aboriginal to emphasize personal in an attempt to give it would reveal clues desired, and create woman. To date Rosalie’s work has explored the relation acts of collecting, such as much representation about my identity. images in the manner of photography to issues of identity. A major body of as occurs in family to my community as I have been a photo- I have always worked— recent work, Facing the Camera (2008-ongoing), docu- albums, my own family possible. I now have grapher for more than as an amalgam of fact ments Aboriginal artists in Canada and elsewhere. With history and my search photographed close 40 years; it has been and fiction. 500 artists being featured so far, Rosalie has received for my Métis roots. to 500 Indigenous Above: “I Awoke to Find through the creation my passion. With the Through painting, I enormous support from her fellow Aboriginal artists, pho- The work is also a artists, and the project My Spirit Had Returned” of possum skin cloaks. recent changes in tech- challenge my engage- tographing them in different cities to give as much repre- statement about is ongoing. brings to mind a famous Similarly, the buffalo nology, the disappear- ment with my subject sentation of her community as possible. During her resi- Aboriginal peoples “Wrapped in Culture” quote by Louis Riel. robe was significant ance of the darkroom matter. I deepen my dency in Australia in 2016, she met renowned Aboriginal claiming the right is a powerful reclama- Below: In her “Facing the and sacred to many and the machinations inquiries into its artists Maree Clarke and Leonard Tregonning. This key to exhibit their own tion project, grounded Camera” series, Rosalie Indigenous peoples that one goes through significance through encounter inspired her to initiate a new project, Wrapped culture and history. in community engage- shines the spotlight on in Canada, particularly to produce a final print, an extended creative in Culture, which brought together ten Indigenous artists The series I call ment. The goal of this Indigenous artists. the Blackfoot. I turned to painting. I process that also from Australia and Canada. Collaboratively the artists cre- “Facing the Camera” project was to encour- The possum skin was hopeful that I could contests the instantan- ated a contemporary version of a possum skin cloak and a is the start of a large age an intercultural collectively to create a cloak and buffalo robe continue to work cre- eity of the photograph. buffalo robe, drawing from culturally distinct yet similar document of Aboriginal sharing of material traditional buffalo robe will be exhibited at the atively in this medium Most importantly, the artistic traditions that historically have sacred and practi- artists. The impetus for history to produce a (Canada) and possum Ottawa Art Gallery as of and explore my Métis process of reworking cal uses. Starting this April, both creations will be exhib- the series derived from work reflective of skin cloak (Australia). this April, and will later heritage. I started with images complements ited at the Ottawa Art Gallery, and will then go on tour in my realization that a Indigenous traditions, The inspiration for this go on tour in Canada painting from photo- how I have always Canada and Australia. document had not been cultures and commun- project was the work and Australia. graphs from my family’s treated my subject Over the course of her long career, Rosalie’s work has made of individuals ities, both past and of Maree Clarke and “From an Early Age archive of snapshots. matter, especially ideas appeared in exhibitions in Canada and the United States, who make up the present. I invited three other Australian Revisited” (1994, 2016) These were taken by of identity, which I see as well as Edinburgh, Scotland; Paris, France; Taipei, Tai- Aboriginal arts commun- Australian and Cana- Aboriginal women is a body of work that my parents, siblings as rooted in histories wan; and Melbourne, Australia. Numerous institutions ity. I have liked taking dian Aboriginal artists artists who revived draws upon photo- and friends. Most of and traditions, but also have acquired her artwork including: National Gallery of portraits of people, and to Ottawa to work a traditional practice graphs I made in 1994. the images have me in adaptable and in flux. n Canada (Ottawa), Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography (Ottawa), Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (Washington, D.C.), and Global Affairs Canada. She has received numerous grants, and won prestigious awards such as the Paul DeHuek/Norman Walford Career Achievement Award from the Ontario Arts Foundation, the Chalmers Fellowship, the Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunten Award and the Karsh Award.