More on the story
Round 1
“On June 2, 2015, The Late Justice Murray Sinclair released the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Summary Report. The report, which is 386 pages long and includes 94 recommendations, (came) ahead of a final report that (would) be released later (that) year. The aim of the Commission and its report (is) to address the continuing legacy of the residential school system and “to guide and inspire a process of truth and healing leading to reconciliation…”(www.oacas.org).
Little did we realize that his presentation would inspire a group of 29 Artists from Simcoe County to come together and answer the Call to Action #83 which states:
“We call upon the Canada Council for the Arts to establish, as a funding priority, a strategy for Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists to undertake collaborative projects and produce works that contribute to the reconciliation process.” (pg 335).”
In July of 2015, eight Indigenous and eight non-Indigenous artists from across the County met and agreed to take part in the Call to Action # 83 project. We agreed on the following:
We would apply for a Canada Council for the Arts Grant.
If we did not receive a grant, we would do it any way. This was too important to let money get in the way.
We appointed a curator who would organize the project and find monies somehow when needed.
A prepaid line of credit would be made available at Curry’s Art Supply Store in Barrie, Ontario for any participant that needed help buying supplies to participate. It would be funded by a private donor. Money would not exclude or burden anyone.
All images belong to the Kind Spirit Who grants each of us the image for the People. The images are being sought and created for the People, not personal gain. If an artist wants to sell the original, the curator would find donors to pay to replace it with a copy.
The Curator would find 2 Western World Knowledge Keepers and 2 Local Indigenous Knowledge Keepers or Elders to supervise and advise us as we created the work.
A Bundle will be created to House the Sacred Feather of Truth and Reconciliation presented to the Call to Action #83 in Simcoe County by the Co-Managers of Springwater Park in Barrie. Scott Thomas and Myiingan Minonaakwhe (Jeff Monague). In the bundle is a white tail feather dropped by the last Eagle residing at Springwater Park. The Bundle will also contain Cedar from the Park, Sweet Grass, Tobacco and Sage. It will travel from artist to artist in the project to inspire them, help them stay safe and healthy during their work. Each artist may add something small to the bundle before they pass it on to the next artist. Between Rounds, the Bundle will be tended to by the Curator.
We would begin the project with learning the teachings of the Sweat Lodge and then take part in a Sweat Lodge to ask the Kind Spirit to inspire us to create images to illustrate the answer to the question;
“What does Truth and Reconciliation look like and sound like in Simcoe County today?”
We would ask that the images “touch the hearts of all who experience them and inspire them to personal and public acts of reconciliation.”After the Sweat Lodge, we would feast and draw lot to determine the order in which we did our work.
Each participant agreed to read the following documents so we all had a common understanding of the Truth and Reconciliation concepts, facts, and basics of Indigenous Anishinaabe world views. We were all pretty familiar with Judeo-Christian-Islamic traditions but few knew much about the Anishinaabe history and world views. These 4 documents included:
The TRC Summary Report and Calls to Action
The Mishomis Book, The Voice of the Ojibway by Edward Benton-Banai
The Anishinaabe Almanac by Edward Benton-Banai
The United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
The Curator, Mary Louise Meiers, approached well established Western Knowledge Keepers and Indigenous Knowledge Keepers and Elders in Simcoe County. Each was respectfully offered tobacco and asked if they would accept our request. All 4 accepted. They are:
Nawaatin-Kwe, Ernestine Baldwin, Elder for the Barrie Native Friendship Centre, member of the Unceeded Nahwash (Cape Croker) First Nation
Myiingan Minonaakwhe , Jeff Monague, Traditional Knowledge Keeper, former Chief of Beausoliel First Nation, Co-Manager of Springwater Park.
Dr. Austin Clarkson, Professor Emeritus of Musicology at York University, Former President of the International Volpe Association.
Beverly Bond Clarkson, Licensed Jungian Psychoanalyst and Past President of the Ontario Association of Jungian Analysts.
On the Night of The Blood Moon on September 25, 2015, the artists, Knowledge Keepers and the Elder gathered to enter the Sweat Lodge. We feasted, drew lot to determine the order of artist image creation. We agreed to come together again in June to privately unveil the images that The Kind Spirit gave each artist. The project was launched. Details of the process are to be found in the Round 1 part of the Project.
On June 19, 2016, we gathered with our images and privately revealed, for the first time, each image in order of the production. The results are the Round 1 section of this site. It was a powerful sharing of individual experiences during their work and the conversations shared at the hand off times. Each work was a complete story in and of itself. When we finished telling our stories, we realized that not only were they stand-alone stories, but they also formed a full rich chapter in a greater book. The Kind Spirit had given us a sixteen-chapter Template to “The Road to Truth and Reconciliation in Simcoe County”. It began with Xavier Fernandez’ image titled “Hope”. There is Hope that we will wake up to the hidden facts of the Residential Schools Legacy. When we learn the facts of everything depicted in the other fourteen images, then we must make a decision. Paul Shillings final image challenges us all to choose:
Do we close our eyes to all that we have learned and return to denial? Do we continue to pass the culture of denial on to the next generation for them to deal with? They will have to start all over again!
OR
Do we have the humility, love, respect, honesty, courage to accept the Truth and grow in wisdom from it?
If we choose to see the truth there is Hope. Paul Shilling’s didactic alongside his image sets the stage for us.
Our first public reveal happened in Toronto at a private pop-up Gallery called “Summer in the City.” It was advertised in the NOW publication and well received. The Project found its way to a series of galleries and colleges in Ontario. The list of Public Reveals provided indicate the First Nations we consulted with for permission prior to planning a Public Reveal in their Traditional Territory. Each First Nation was welcoming after we presented our request and explained the Project at their Council meetings. We wanted to respect our Treaty responsibility and the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to ensure free and prior consultation.
After the final Public Reveal at the Aurora Culture Centre, someone asked what we were going to do with the images now that they have toured. Our one regret was that we had no permanent gallery to display them. The images were obviously doing their work. They were touching the hearts of all who experienced them and inspiring them to want to learn more. It was a loss to “have to put them away now.”
The next week we were approached by The St. Paul’s United Church Community Centre with the offer of a permanent gallery space where they continue to hang and inspire all who experience them. The Curator accepted on behalf of the Images.
Time Line of Round 1 Significant Events
September 28, 1015-July 6,2016: Image creation in order of draw.
July 17, 2016: Private Reveal
July 18-August 1,2016: Aluminum image of all sixteen works will be created by Keith Butler at X-treme Imaging, Barrie, Ontario. Cost covered by Donors. Barnwood framed by Steve Beatie, a volunteer. These were intended for outdoor instillations and travel while originals remained in Ogimaa Miskwaaki Gallery.
Summer in the City Pop up Gallery
The Art Square
MacLaren Art Centre, Barrie, Ontario
Art Gallery of Northumberland, Coburg, Ontario.
Nov. 30, 2016: Georgian College, Orillia Campus, Orillia, Ontario
One Day Presentation to Students in School of Social Work and Police Foundations Students.
March 17, 2017: Georgian College, Barrie Campus, Barrie, Ontario Presentation for Cultural Diversity Week.
St. James Centre for Community, 24 Mary Street Centre, Parry Sound, Ontario.
Collingwood Council Chambers, Collingwood, Ontario.
Simcoe St. Theatre, Collingwood, Ontario.
Luther College, Waterloo, Ontario.
Ogiima Miskwaaki Gallery, 93 Peter Street North, Orillia, Ontario.
The Story of Round 2
During one of the Reveals in Round 1, Elder Lorraine McRae, former Chief and then Councillor of Chippewas of Rama First Nation asked the curator of this Call to Action to not let this project be a “one-of”. She impressed on the curator that there are too many “one-of” events. What was needed was sustained efforts over time to keep the process of Truth seeking and acts of reconciliation alive in Simcoe County. Truth and Reconciliation is a daily journey over time, not a single event.
Paul Shilling, our lead Indigenous artist for Round 1, asked if we would consider doing the process again. That was an opportunity to fulfill Elder McRae’s request. Paul wanted to see if we had learned anything from the experience. We agreed to do Round 2. The artists images and stories are found in the Round 2 selection on this website. Thank you Elder McRae. Thank you, Paul Shilling. Thank you, artists.
Round 2 Questions Asked
What Does Truth and Reconciliation Look Like and Sound like in Simcoe County NOW?
What Does Truth and Reconciliation Look Like and Sound like in the hearts and minds of the individual artists NOW?
This Round has 2 questions asked of the Kind Spirit. The first is the same question asked of the Kind Spirit in Round 1. The second is directed toward the individual who is actively engaged in seeking and creating the images granted by the Kind Spirit.
Round 2 was a random draw, leaving the order of the works and conversations up to the Kind Spirit. There are clusters of Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists in the story line now. It reflects the Great Disruption effects on the relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous. Round 1 was balanced: Indigenous, non-Indigenous, Indigenous, non-Indigenous. Round 2 was totally up to the Kind Spirit to guide us.
Once again, we began with a Sweat Lodge, a feast and a draw.
There are 13 artists this Round. The fact that the gallery is on property owned by a church organization is very difficult for some. Some of the artists felt unable to continue to participate. That is understandable and deeply respected. We are all at different stages of healing from the Residential School Legacy, several of the artists who initially could not participate in Round 2 continued in future Rounds. When we started the project, we agreed that the Kind Spirit was the Giver of the images to inspire Truth and Reconciliation in our geographic area
The United Church of Canada is a very socially conscious organization. It was the first Church in Canada to offer a formal apology and is consciously looking for ways to foster Truth and Reconciliation. After consulting with the Elders and Knowledge Keepers they agreed that if they were to display the Project in a church, it would be St. Paul’s United in Orillia, because of their socially conscious history in the area. St. Paul’s community has been very supportive and courageous throughout the 4 Rounds of the Call to Action #83. The Ogimaa Miskwaaki Gallery is part of the non-sectarian branch of St. Paul’s Community Centre.
The TRC Commission was created by the Canadian Government as the result of a law suit brought against it by the Survivors of the Residential Schools. The Calls to Action are the recommendations the Survivors clearly stated are necessary to make their Truth known and for the people of Canada to reconcile the relationship. It is time for the various levels of Canadian Government and the organizations, who were contracted to implement the residential school policies, to do their work to change the story and fix the relationship.
The images and stories, living in the Ogimaa Miskwaaki Gallery, offer a chance to learn the Truth…to have the Kind Spirit touch each heart that experiences them… and be inspired by the Kind Spirit to acts of personal /public acts of reconciliation. With Love, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Humility, Truth and Wisdom…. the Images sought by the artists on the behalf of all people await the public to receive them … have their hearts touched …. find their call to action.
Round 2 begins with ‘Hope’. This hope comes from taking time to feel the effects of the truth that we learned in Round 1. They are difficult truths. We must process all those feelings of fear, anger, horror, guilt, shame, sorrow, loss of innocence, and intergenerational grief/trauma. Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous have been deeply scarred by the Residential School Legacy. If we persist with humility and love for each other, ourselves and all our Ancestors and Relations, then we have a chance to listen deeply to the Truth and integrate it into our mind and heart in a good way. Right now, we lack the wisdom required to be able to ‘Share’ (Xavier’s piece) with All of Our Relations……human, plant, fish, bird, air, earth, sky, water, the creepers and the crawlers. If we process the facts and feelings from Round 1 and 2, we will learn to listen and share.
When Elder Ernestine Baldwin saw the second Round of works, she became very emotional. “I can’t tell the Indigenous artists from the non-Indigenous artists this Round!!! There IS HOPE!”, she said.
Answer to Round 2 Questions
After learning the truths of Round 1, there is another kind of ‘Hope’. It is a hope that moves our heart, mind, spirit and imagination. The first work in Round 2 is Jennie Clark’s work. She had forgotten that the first work in Round 1 that Xavier created was called, ‘Hope.’ Jennie called her work ‘Hope’ also. Her hope comes from being present just for a “…moment of activation, you need not follow the ancient path of self-abandonment, shame, blame, and self-agression. Choose something different. Just this time. Even for one or two seconds that is enough. A new world is born of that.” (Matt Licata). If we allow ourself to experience these images with the “Second Hope”, we have the opportunity to Bakwendmaajge (The act of sharing). Thus, “a new world is born of that” … a world of action, a world based on “Truth…Listen…Truth…Share” (Xavier Frnandez).
Time Line of Round 2 Significant Events:
January 12, 2018 – Sweat Lodge, Feast, Draw the order of artist to do the works.
January 13, 2018 - September 6, 2018: The 13 artists, in order of the draw, create the images.
October 13, 2018: The private gathering to reveal the images in order of creation and the individual story telling.
October 26, 2018: The First Public Reveal at Quest Art Gallery in Midland Ontario. Two Pipe Carriers offered an opening Pipe Ceremony.
October 20 - January 5, 2019: Displayed at Quest Gallery in Midland, Ontario.
September 2, 2019 – December 20, 2019: Luther College, Waterloo, Ontario.
November 16, 2019: Public Reveal at Luther College, Waterloo, Ontario.
December 20, 2019 – March 11, 2020: Sunlife Insurance Office, 227 King Street South, Waterloo, ON N2J
February 2020 - August 2020: Covid quarantine, Round 2 was vaulted at the Sunlife Insurance office for safe keeping.
October 27, 2020: Round 2 is returned and hung in the Ogimaa Miskwaaki Gallery, 63 Peter St. N. Orillia, Ontario.
December 16, 2020: Public Reveal at St. Paul’s United Church. https://www.youtube.com/live/6brRtPU4_1E?si=An_-RAI_xSifKIAi
Click here to view Round 2 artwork
The Story of Round 3
What does Truth and Reconciliation in Simcoe County Look Like Now in 2021 after Seven Years of Image Seeking?
So much happened between January 2018 and October 2022.
March 17, 2020: The WHO officially declared the COVID-19 outbreak and epidemic. (Wikipedia.org)
November - December 2020: Ontario initiated rolling Lockdowns. (ibid)
January 12, 2021: A state of emergency was declared in Ontario. (ibid)
June 21, 2021: the Government of Canada passed Bill C-5 to make September 30 a federal statutory day. It is observed as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, previously known as Orange Shirt Day that began in 2013. (ibid)
March 13, 2021: Our Western Knowledge Keeper, Dr. Austin Clarkson Died. Jon Oelrichs, participating artist and former student of Dr. Austing Clarkson and Beverly Clarkson, agrees to be a Western Knowledge Keeper.
May 28, 2022: The unmarked graves of 215 children were confirmed after Sarah Beauliei, an anthropologist at Kamloops Indian Residential School). the University of Fraser Valley, British Columbia surveyed the apple orchard on the grounds of the Kamloops Indian Residential School (established in 1893-1978) (Wikipedia)
July 17, 2022: Pope Francis came to Canada on a “… penitential pilgrimage… to foster reconciliation among Indigenous peoples.” (Globe and Mail, Pg. A14, Saturday, July 23, 2022.)
May 2023: The WHO officially declared the end to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Wikipedia.org)
We were a pretty shaken group. We had seen and done so much learning since June 2, 2015 when the Late Senator Murray Sinclair had released the Final Summary of the TRC Commission with the Calls to Action.
In September 2021, The Leadership Team and the Coordinator of St. Paul’s United Community Centre and home to the Ogiima Miskwaaki Gallery wrote the Artists and Knowledge Keepers and Elder a letter asking us to please do Round 3. They stated:
“Over the last 35 years, we have sought numerous means to heal this injustice.” (residential schools and legacy) Your art has helped deepen our awareness and inviting concrete responses.
It is our understanding that you are considering another Round of art as part of this Call #83 initiative. We believe this would be an important addition to the cultural conversation at this time and would love to be supportive of it.”
“Thank you for considering this invitation of this third Round and we look forward to continuing this long walk of truth telling and finding small steps forward.”
The artists resoundingly agreed to Round 3. There were 17 artists who continued on and once again, we gathered for a Sacred Sweat Lodge, feast and draw to begin our next labor of love. This Round returned to a balance of cultures in the image making process. We began with and Indigenous artist and ended with a non-Indigenous artist. Albert Snache drew the first time slot. He began the process on October 18, 2021. Christina Luck ended it on August 23, 2022. The private reveal happened in September and the Public Reveal happened on October 23, 2022. The Ogimaa Miskwaaki Gallery was formally named and dedicated at this public Reveal. The images and artist statements are found in the Round 3 section of this website.
On the day of the public reveal, Chief Ted Williams, and Councillor Lorraine McRae from the Chippewas of Rama First Nation and our Call to Action #83 Knowledge Keepers and Elder gathered with the artists in the gallery for a private meeting before the public Reveal. They thanked the artists for continuing their Image Seeking on the behalf of the community. Councillour and Elder Lorraine McRae remarked that we were in the Western doorway now doing our work. When we started, we were in the Eastern Doorway where ideas are born. Round 2 was the Southern Doorway where relationships are made among those needed to engage in the idea. Now we are in the Western Doorway where we gather the things we need to complete a task. She thanked us for persisting to complete our work though all four Directions. This is not a “One-of” event. It is a long journey of learning and growing in Truth in order to Fix the Relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous in what we now call Simcoe County.
The Answer to Round 3 Question
This Round begins with a third type of Hope. Albert’s stunning image of the sacred balance of life is charged with Spirit Hope. When we return to right relationship with All of Creation, we become Humble, Loving, Respectful, Brave, Honest, and we learn to cherish Truth and gain Wisdom over time. After all that has happened, in what we call Simcoe County, we need to walk with these attitudes to heals ourselves and rebalance our hearts, minds, spirit and bodies. We are so lucky to be able to reside on these traditional lands of the Anishinabe Peoples respectfully, in friendship and in peace together. That original Right Relationship with All of Creation is still maintained in this area. The Elders are teaching them to the present generations who want to return to them to heal and be true to who they are. They are answering the 4 fundamental universal human questions of life that the Late Murray Sinclair shared with us in 2015. They are:
Where do I come from?
Where am I going?
Why am I here?
Who am I?
If we process all the images and learnings of this Round, we end with Christina Luck’s Three Flying Ducks. She talks about the Healing colour of Green. Her work is a reflection pond with a stick on it that represents the Pike in Chief Lady Bird’s work that inspired Christina. When we look closely, she has written upside down and backwards (rearview reflection) the following, “Land Back”. This Round is Hope that we return to the land and heal. Hope that Mind, Heart and Spirit “Hopes” become balanced and land based. A new Balance of Mind, Heart, Spirit and Body relationship with All Our Relations. It is a great gift the First Nations Peoples (of what we now call Simcoe County) are sharing this teaching with us. Their Balance depends on our Balance. The Duck’s balance and wellbeing depends on our Balance. We Are All Related.
Nothing new to the Anishinaabe time immemorial teaching of Balance and Right relationship with ALL of Creation. It is to non-Indigenous who come from ancestors with long histories of acts of personal and social “Dominion Over” and the concept of private property. That balance is only a veneer away with a change of Heart, Mind and Spirit if we choose to go back to the Healing Green of the Land. It is there we too can find the answers to those four Universal Human Questions that are the foundation to Health and Wholeness.
Click here to view Round 3 artwork
Round 4 Question
What does Truth and Reconciliation Look Like and Sound Like Now after 10 years of seeking Truth and Reconciliation Images for the Community?
It was clear to the 16 artists continuing that we would need to finish the Circle and complete Round 4…. the Northern Doorway. The Traditional Teachings of the Indigenous First Nations, of what we now call Simcoe County, are inspiring our quest for Truth and Reconciliation. Once again, thank you, Elder McRae for inspiring us to complete the Full Medicine Wheel with Round 4.
Round 4 began on September 7, 2024 with the traditional Sweat Lodge Ceremony, a Feast and the Draw. It is a balance draw that began with an Indigenous artist, followed by non-Indigenous artist etc. It ends with a non -Indigenous artist on June 11, 2025.
The Private Reveal will be on June 14, 2025.
The Public Reveal will be Sept 14, 2025 in the Great Hall of the St. Paul’s United Church at 63 Peter St. N in Orillia, Ontario. It begins at 10:30. Each Artist will publicly reveal their image for the community and tell their story in the order of the Draw. All are invited to attend. It is Free.
The Images will then be installed in the Ogimaa Miskwaaki Gallery For Truth And Reconciliation in Simcoe County.
Round 5
Since 2023 workshops have been held in the Ogimaa Miskwaaki Gallery in which Indigenous and non-Indigenous people can share the stories of their heritage and their ancestors who came to Turtle Island. Informed by the work of Thomas Hubl, Ph.D. (https://thomashuebl.com ) and Dr. Austin Clarkson Prof. Emeritus, York University, participants can imagine how their ancestors’ experiences have brought us to this moment of Truth and Reconciliation.
The participants are then invited to choose one piece of work from Call to Action #83 which is displayed in this gallery. After spending time with their selected piece, participants create their own image in response to the chosen piece. While sharing their work with the members of the workshop in a circle and receiving feedback, the group works with digesting and integrating the past as a way of imagining actions that can be taken in the present to create a different future. Finally, the group creates a “new story” by ordering the responses in a line or a circle.
