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KINSHIP MASKS.

Dayna Danger, Kinship Masks, ca. 2016, beads and leather.

On the topic of exploration of themes and culture, modern Metis art also includes the exploration of sexuality – within the LGBTQ+ community. In visual arts, Queer Métis artists may use symbolism, imagery, and color to explore themes of self-discovery, resilience, and empowerment. Their work may incorporate Métis iconography alongside LGBTQ+ symbols, creating visually striking pieces that challenge viewers to reconsider notions of identity and belonging.

Dayna Danger is two-spirit indigiqueer Métis-Saulteaux-Polish visual artist. They explore and create works where they make kinship and practicing consent as focal points in order to create artworks that create suspension of reality in complex dynamics of intimacy, gender, sexuality, BDSM, and mixed identities, as well as creating artworks for underrepresented/marginalized groups such as women-identified, two-spirited, transgender, and non binary people.

Kinship masks is a photographic series created by Danger starting in 2016. They combine the traditional Métis practice of beadwork and BDSM masks in order to create a suspension of reality, exchanging complex dynamics of sexuality, gender, and power while enacting consent. Furthermore, the mask is meant to act as a barrier, interrupting the dominant gaze and protecting the wearer from the real life terrors of fetishization and commodification. A total of 7 black, beaded masks were created, with each of them being unique to the wearer of the mask. The entirety of these took approximately 300 hours to make.

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THE NIGHT SHIFT.

Christi Belcourt, The Night Shift, acrylic on canvas, 193 x 259.1 cm, ca. 2023.

Modern Métis art is a vibrant and diverse expression of Métis identity, culture, and experiences in contemporary times. Building upon traditional artistic practices while incorporating new techniques and themes, modern Métis artists explore a wide range of mediums, styles, and subjects to convey their unique perspectives and stories.

Christi Belcourt is a Canadian visual artist and author, who is of Métis descent. She is incredibly involved and well known within the Métis community, with her artwork circling in art galleries like the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Ontario.

The Night Shift is a piece Belcourt had created in 2023. The painting itself is comprised of acrylic on canvas, but can be purchased as a print. The scene depicts a dot painting with intricate details, with bright colours on the black background giving the florals, foliage and fauna more emphasis due to their hues of blue, green and pink.

Belcourt is well known for her paintings that replicate Métis beadwork, with their intricate floral patterning. Topics of her work surround ideas and themes of identity, culture and preservation of old practices - a common theme amongst modern Métis artists due to the loss of culture from the assimilation of cultures and colonization that occurred not too long ago.

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JIGGING.

Rhea Labrie dancing and Calvin Vollrath fiddling. Hardisty Alberta Oct 23, 2010.

The Métis are best known for their lively performance arts, with high energy music and jovial dancing to accompany it. Many accounts by missionaries and fur traders and artists’ sketches indicate that the sociable Red River Métis were passionate about fiddling, dancing and celebrating.

The Red River Jig is the most commonly known cultural dance of the Métis, as it widely combines First Nations dancing with Canadian-Scottish traditional step dance - whilst an upbeat fiddle tune is played as accompanying music at almost every Métis function.

"Métis fiddlers are cultural ambassadors, travelling throughout North America to take part in ‘old time fiddle’ contests such as the John Arcand Fiddle Fest, held near Saskatoon." - Indigenous People's Atlas of Canada.

Though there is no real origin to the jig itself, only known to date back to the mid-1800s, the Red River Jig's earliest recording was in 1860, when a man by the name of Mr. Macdallas had played the specific tune for a Métis couple on their wedding day. It was titled the "Red River Jig" by Father Père Brocher, the man who conducted the wedding.

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THE MÉTIS SASH.

Traditional Métis sash from the 19th century. Design: ceinture fléchée (sayncheur flayshii in Michif)

Métis (or l'Assomption) sashes, also known as ceintures fléchées (arrowed belt in English) or arrow sashes, are iconic items of cultural significance within Métis communities - as the arrowed weaving can be seen in the details of the belt. These distinctive woven belts are characterized by their vibrant colors, intricate patterns, and arrow-like designs, which are achieved through a specialized weaving technique.

They are often made in various lengths (3 meters being the average length), originally purposed for men to wear around their waists; originating during the peak of the fur trade in the 18th century, as they became popular trade items for groups like the Hudson's Bay Company, due its introduction by the French people.

Some of the first sashes ever created had other - more physically practical - purposes aside from stylistic and cultural, such as carrying small items like knives, keeping coats closed during cold weather conditions, pulling along canoes and many other uses.

Aside from the beautiful and intricate detailing, sashes were created using various threads in different colours. According to an article titled The Knowledge keepers Diary, written by the Métis Nation of Alberta Region 1, each colour had a different meaning:

Red - is for the blood of the Métis that was shed through the years while fighting for our rights. Blue - is for the depth of our spirits. Green - is for the fertility of a great nation. White - is for our connection to the earth and our creator. Yellow - is for the prospect of prosperity. Black - is for the dark period of the suppression and dispossession of the Métis land.

Today, Métis sashes continue to be valued as symbols of Métis pride, heritage, and identity. They are worn on special occasions, such as Métis cultural celebrations, powwows, and gatherings, as well as in everyday life by those who wish to honor and preserve Métis traditions. Through the continued practice of sash weaving and the celebration of Métis culture, communities ensure that these iconic symbols remain an enduring part of Métis identity for generations to come.

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OCTOPUS BAGS.

(Octopus Bag by formerly known Métis artist. C. 1850s.)

Octopus bags were another creation made by the Métis - a small black velveteen bag adorned with intricate bead working on the front and back of the back, with eight legs at the bottom of it (which resemble an octopus, hence the name!) These bags are intricately crafted using finger weaving techniques, where yarn or strips of cloth are woven together to create a sturdy and visually striking design

The creation of these bags date as far back as the 1590s, with them still being in fashion to present day. Originally called Firebags, these small satchels were created by Indigenous women as gifts to their husbands right at the beginning of their marriage.

Often tucked into a woven sash or hung up by a shoulder strap, its contents were quintessential for a Métis man on his travels; as it contained items such as tobacco, a pipe, tinder, and other items that may aid them in their travels. However, women also used the pouch in order to store items such as food, medicine, and materials for tasks such as sewing.

Designs and motifs for the bags had a tendency to vary depending on what was considered popular or native to its region of origin. The patterning itself is a telltale cultural hybridity of Indigenous floral styles, with colonial European embroidery patterning. It took patience, skill and intricacy for these bags to come to fruition.

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BIRCH BARK BITING.

( Pat Bruderer (Métis). Bees and Flower (8.75 x 10 in.) )

Though birch bark biting originated as a traditional Cree practice, many First Nation groups have also adopted it into their way of living – Métis included. For the Métis people, birch bark biting is both an art form and a cultural practice that has been passed down through generations.

Métis artisans, known as "birch bark biters," use their teeth to carefully manipulate thin strips of birch bark, creating elaborate designs that reflect their cultural identity, spiritual beliefs, and connection to the land. Birch bark biting, commonly known across groups as mazinibaganjigan (creating pictures in bark), is the process of using your eyeteeth (more commonly known as your canines) to create indentations into soft, silky paper bark that soon translate into images. It is commonly done by Indigenous women as a casual craft – many of which have a different process for achieving their desired patterns and designs; whether it be through the bark they choose, or the way they bite into it.

Initially used to map out beading patterns and quillwork, it has since become an artform of its own. Many settlers during the 1600s found the practice rather fascinating, taking the art back and showcasing it for others to see. Historically, birch bark biting served practical purposes as well, with intricate designs often adorning items such as baskets, boxes, and other containers used for storage and transportation. These designs not only added beauty to everyday objects but also conveyed important cultural symbols and messages.

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Introduction

Welcome to my account! This blog is a final project for my Introduction to Indigenous Arts class, where I will be posting a timeline of artworks compiled from precolonial contact, during contact, and post-contact modern/contemporary art for the Métis community. Below the cut is a brief introduction to the Métis and their style of arts. I am beyond excited to share my findings with you. :)

The term "Métis" originally referred to individuals of mixed Indigenous and European ancestry, particularly those of French and Indigenous descent in the Red River area (present-day Manitoba). Over time, the Métis developed a distinct culture, blending elements of Indigenous, French, and later, English, traditions.

European contact in Canada began in the early 1600s, as a result of rising fur trades and exports becoming more prevalent as Canada was considered uncharted territory for sailing Europeans. At the start, many European men and Indigenous women had begun establishing romantic relations and developing families. By the 1700s, they (the Métis) began to branch off into a new group of people, as opposed to becoming one part of their ethnicity or the other. These communities would soon establish themselves along the Red River area as mentioned earlier, as well as around the Great Lakes area (present-day Ontario.) According to the MNO (Métis Nation Organization):

“Métis in these areas are no longer seen as and do not see themselves as extensions of their maternal (First Nations) or paternal (European) relations, and begin to identify as a separate group.” - Metis Nation Organization

One of the most significant events in Métis history is the Red River Resistance of 1869-1870 led by Louis Riel - a former Canadian politician, a known Métis, and the founder of Manitoba. This resistance was a response to the Canadian government's efforts to assert control over the Métis homeland in the Red River Valley. The resistance led to the negotiation of the Manitoba Act, which established Manitoba as a province and recognized Métis land rights. Unfortunately, Riel was accused of high treason due to his rebellion against the government, and was hanged for his misdeeds in 1884. However, this did not stop the fight for Métis rights.

Throughout the 20th century, Métis communities faced ongoing challenges, including discrimination, marginalization, and loss of land and culture. However, Métis organizations such as the Métis National Council have worked to promote Métis rights, culture, and self-governance. They were officially recognized as an Indigenous group by the government in 1982, one of three legally, politically, and culturally distinct Indigenous peoples of Canada, recognized by s. 35 (2) of the Constitution Act. Currently, they reside in provinces such as Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories, and their native tongue is known as Michif.

The Métis people have a rich artistic tradition that predates European contact, drawing from their Indigenous roots and cultural influences. Métis arts encompass a diverse range of practices, including visual arts, music, dance, and storytelling, all of which were integral to their way of life.

I will go more into detail in regards to their arts as I post about each work I have chosen. Overall, I have curated a nuanced timeline, detailing artworks and practices that start as early as first contact, going down the years until we reach modern day contemporary art.