Join us in celebrating the opening of World-builders, shapeshifters, a group exhibition featuring works by Alex Jacobs-Blum, Kat Brown Akootchook, Kay Nadjiwon, Natalie King, Nishina Shapwaykeesic-Loft, and Sheri Osden Nault.
Remarks will take place in the exhibition at 6:15pm.
From 7-9pm, enjoy a variety of performances and interactive workshops happening throughout the gallery, led by various First Nations, Métis, and Inuit storytellers. Refreshments will be served.
This event is free and open to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
The RMG is an accessible venue. For full information on our facilities, please click here. If you have questions about this event or if there are other ways we can support your participation, please email Erin at [email protected].
The storytellers:
Elder Dorothy Taylor is a Mississauga Ojibwe Elder from Curve Lake First Nation. She is known for her work and traditional teachings about the sacredness of water. She is asked to share traditional knowledge and ceremony within her community and various organizations throughout Peterborough and the surrounding area. She is a hand drummer and singer. Elder Dorothy Taylor is the founder of the Sacred Water Circle, inspired by traditional Indigenous teachings and leading with hope and spiritual courage, the Sacred Water Circle sees a restored relationship between human communities and water. Currently, Dorothy is the Co-Chair of the local United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 on Clean Water and Sanitation sponsored through the Kawartha World Issues Centre. She lives in Curve Lake with her husband Mark and two sons.
Vivian Roy / Giiwed’no kwe (Northwind-Woman) is Wolf Clan and Odawa from the Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve. She speaks Anishnabemowin (Ojibway) and has graduated from Sault College of the Applied Arts with a Certificate in Addictions Counselling, Laurentian University with a Bachelor of Social Work, and Wilfred Laurier University with a Master of Social Work. Vivian is a registered social worker, a certified life skills coach, and trainer.
Vivian currently works with First Nation communities around grief, specializing in adolescent and adult grief counseling. Her work is culturally based, using Anishnaabemowin teachings to teach about stages of grief, types of grief, grief circles, blanket exercise, working with traditional medicines, land-based activities, and ceremonies. In Vivian’s spare time she enjoys dancing, beading, and quill work, which she finds very therapeutic. Vivian teaches quillwork using different techniques.
Tamara Sarah Tikisa Takpannie is an artist and advocate originally from Iqaluit, NU, who specializes in beadwork, textiles and kattajaq (throat singing). An urban Inuk based in Ottawa, Takpannie’s bold and feminine artwork reflects her desire to represent the strength and resilience of Inuit women and uphold cultural traditions. Tamara has been throat singing since 2014 and enjoys sharing ancient songs with all peoples in the world.
Samantha Kigutaq-Metcalfe is 19 years old and born and raised in Ottawa. Samantha’s mom’s family is from Arctic Bay, Nunavut and dad’s side of the family is from Nain, Nunatsiavut. Samantha has been throatsinging all her life and it’s something she will continue to learn throughout the rest of her life. Learning new things and sharing them with the Inuit youth she works with in Ottawa is her passion. She will continue to learn every day.
Nikki Soliman is Métis from Sault Ste. Marie and the author of Bubbly Beth, Ants In My Pants, Indig-Enough and Magnificent Magnetic Me. Nikki is also a teacher and administrator with the Durham District School Board and understands the importance of students seeing themselves in the resources used. Prior to working in the DDSB, Nikki taught at Chippewas of the Thames First Nation and Moose Factory Island.
Nimkii (Thunder Man) Osawamick is an Anishinaabe dance artist from Wiikwemkoong, Unceed Territory, located on Manitoulin Island and is a member of the Wolf Clan. Nimkii has been dancing since the age of three years old. Now an active community member in powwow circles, Nimkii is well-known as a lead singer, hoop dancer and champion powwow dancer in the Fancy Dance category. He has travelled extensively across North America, sharing his gift of singing and dancing with the peoples of Turtle Island. Nimkii has previously worked with Nozhem Theatre, Trent University, as a dance artist, opening many doors for him into the performance world. Nimkii is dedicated to the preservation and awareness of his peoples’ culture and history, highlighted in his business DNA STAGE: Dedicated Native Awareness, which helps bridge the cultural gap between First Nations people and inhabitants.
Melody Crowe is a Michi-Saagiig Anishinaabe Woman from Alderville First Nation which is located on the South Shore of Rice Lake, Ontario. She has dedicated her life to creating a deeper understanding and appreciation of First Nation culture, knowledge, language, and history, and has more than 25 years of teaching the Ojibway language to children, youth, adults, and Elders. She works from the place of honouring her Ancestors and honouring the importance of Indigenous Peoples and ways of knowing. In 2007, Melody received the Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in the preservation of language and culture from the Union of Ontario Indians, and in 2015, the Honouring Our People Award from the Ogemawahi Tribal Council. Melody is also an eagle feather carrier, a jingle dancer, and a photographer.
Lena Recollet is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist, she is Anishinaabe from Wikwemikong. Her directorial and writing debut won her the Cynthia Lickers Sage Award from ImagineNative Film + Media Festival. This recognition proved to her that she was a writer, she then went on to win a Native American Music Award for Best Spoken Word Recording. Her comedic debut was on “She Kills Me” aired APTN (2014) and at Camino’s Cabaret (2015) before becoming one of the founding members of Manifest Destiny’s Child. She now writes sketch comedy with four members of the former collective now known as The NDN Act. This decision was made after performing for SketchFest TO last year at the Theatre Centre. In August, Lena was host/MC for the “Anishinaabemowin Conference” in her home community of Wiikwemkoong, where she also featured in night comedy and storytelling. Most recent performances were at: “Indigenous Humour is Knowledge Comedy Night” at McGill University and ROM After Dark: Be Yourself at the Royal Ontario Museum. A mentor and a mentee, Lena was a secondary school teacher for 7 years at Toronto District School Board before deciding to lead the life of being an entrepreneur. She is now the owner of Assiginack Consulting & Training, inspired by the legacy of her ancestor who was a War Chief and Oratory. Lena’s poetry and filmmaking has led her to receive a mentorship from Buffy Sainte Marie (2011) before opening for the icon. She ended year 2022 off by being an opening act for Rupi Kaur at Massey Hall. Her comedy received a mentorship for the Indig-E Girl web series through mentorship with Second City which is what ignited her to explore more sketch comedy writing.
World-builders, shapeshifters is supported by the Maada’ookii Committee, Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation and the Downie & Wenjack Foundation and Hudson Bay Foundation through Oshki Wuppowane: The Blanket Fund.
This event is presented in partnership with:
