Indigenous knowledge keepers help Winnipeg Art Gallery in renaming of art collections
Indigenous knowledge keepers are helping Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq rename pieces of art that were given inappropriate titles.
Julia Lafreniere, head of Indigenous initiatives at WAG-Qaumajuq, has been working with researchers and Indigenous knowledge keepers to identify 57 works at the gallery that are in need of a name change.
It is part of the art gallery's work to decolonize its collection.
"As with many historical art collections at galleries, there are often pieces that have inappropriate titles in today's context. For example, some pieces will still carry words like 'Indian,' or 'Eskimo,' or 'Savage,'" Lafreniere told CTV News.
Julia Lafreniere, head of Indigenous initiatives at WAG-Qaumajuq, has been working with researchers and Indigenous knowledge keepers to identify 57 works at the gallery that are in need of a name change. (Source: Danton Unger/ CTV News Winnipeg)
The gallery identified each nation depicted in these 57 pieces, and asked knowledge keepers from those nations to rename the art. She said Anishinaabe, Cree, Dakota, Inuit and Dene knowledge keepers joined the initiative.
"They all did it in their own way," Lafreniere said, adding some knowledge keepers held renaming ceremonies, giving the pieces new names in their Indigenous languages.
One collection, formerly titled 'Drawings of Eskimo Clothing', is being given a new name in Inuktitut, 'Ajjinuanga Angnaop Annuranganik.'
One collection, formerly titled 'Drawings of Eskimo Clothing' (pictured), is being given a new name in Inuktitut, 'Ajjnuanga Angnaop Annurangnik' as a part of WAG-Qaumajuq's renaming initiative. (Source: Danton Unger/ CTV News Winnipeg)
While the pieces are getting new names, Lafreniere said the knowledge keepers have asked that the old names still be included to be used as an educational tool.
She said the renaming is an important step.
"The titles, oftentimes, are the first way that the artwork is introduced to the public and people engaging with that artwork," she said.
"Giving them these new titles given by ceremonial leaders from the Indigenous community, it really ingrains Indigenous knowledge into the canon of art history."
She said WAG-Qaumajuq is the first art gallery to do this kind of renaming initiative, but she hopes other galleries do the same.
More information about the Artworks Renaming Initiative can be found online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
In a world first, king-size cigarettes in Canada must feature one of these warnings starting Tuesday
Tobacco manufacturers have until Tuesday to ensure every king-size cigarette produced for sale in Canada has a health warning printed directly on it.
Norovirus spreading at 'higher frequency' than expected in Canada
Norovirus is spreading at a 'higher frequency' than expected in Canada, specifically, in Ontario and Alberta, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
French actor Gerard Depardieu in police custody, legal team says
French actor Gérard Depardieu has been taken into police custody in Paris to face questioning, his lawyer told CNN Monday.
WATCH So you haven't filed your taxes yet…
The clock is ticking ahead of the deadline to file a 2024 income tax return. A personal finance expert explains why you should get them done -- even if you owe more than you can pay.
Wet weather to plague provinces, some areas to see up to 45 millimetres of rain
The same storm system that brought deadly tornadoes to parts of the U.S. is heading north, hammering some Canadian provinces with rain and snow, according to latest forecasts.
Anne Hathaway reveals she's now five years sober
Anne Hathaway first shared she lost interest in drinking after a bad hangover in 2018. She’s now five years sober.
Gold watch worn by richest passenger aboard Titanic sells for record-breaking US$1.5 million
A gold watch worn by John Jacob Astor IV, a member of the wealthy Astor family and the richest man aboard the Titanic, sold for a record-breaking US$1.485 million at auction on Saturday.
'Deeply unhappy' grocery shoppers plan to boycott Loblaw-owned stores in May
A boycott targeting Loblaw is gaining momentum online, with what could be thousands of shoppers taking their money elsewhere in May.
5 ways to attack the climate crisis
The climate crisis impacts Earth — its land, its atmosphere and its bodies of water — and it also profoundly affects the health and behavior of the planet’s inhabitants large and small, including humanity.