Moccasins draw mixed emotions
By Jennifer Ashawasegai
PARRY SOUND – Viewers of the “Walking With Our Sisters” exhibit experienced mixed emotions.
They see 1,600 moccasin vamps (tongues) that are beautiful works of art; then the heart wrenches in realization that every one of those vamps memorializes a missing or murdered Aboriginal woman.
The moccasin pieces were set up in long rows in the Parry Sound Museum. Some vamps are intricately beaded, and depict symbols like dragon flies, northern lights, and butterflies. Some are painted, while others include pictures of the women. One pair, decorated with random black letters, includes a phrase in red, “There are no words.”
The Commemorative Art installation was hosted at the Museum on Tower Hill in Parry Sound from January 10-26 Boshdayosgaykwe Tracey Pawis, Wasauksing First Nation citizen and owner of G’Zaagin Art Gallery, was a co-keeper of the exhibit.
“There were lots of mixed emotions,” she said. “When it came to receiving the vamps, I was happy to see them and I was also emotional because of what it represented.”
Co-keeper Christine King, also from Wasauksing, was similarly moved.
“Preparing for the arrival of the vamps didn’t really hit me until I was in the same room as them. And actually seeing them brought tears to my eyes.”
For King it was also a sacred experience.
“It was much like handling items in the lodge, always with intention of good positive feelings. Preparing the space felt like preparing a lodge.”
And that’s exactly Metis artist Christi Belcourt envisioned when she conceived the idea of an exhibit to honour the memories of 582 missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada. (The number has since risen to 824 documented cases.)
She wanted a way to honour the women and girls in a way that is respectful. Curators ensure traditional protocols are followed in each territory. Belcourt says it’s also mandatory to have a couple of grandmothers on hand every day at the locations where the exhibit is being hosted in case people need to talk.
In Parry Sound, the vamps were surrounded by cedar, women were offered skirts before entering the room and people were offered semaa and smudge. The grandmothers on hand included Elders Lorna Pawis, Donna King and Dora Tabobondung, also from nearby Wasauksing First Nation.
Henvey Inlet First Nation visitor Nicole Contin was overwhelmed by the exhibit.
“It was amazing to see. The artwork was very beautiful and it made the issue more personal because you could see all the artist’s love in the vamps.
“I felt sad and happy. There was a kind of bittersweet recognition and they will always be remembered,” she said.
As the federal government continues to deny calls for a national public inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls in Canada, the number of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls continues to climb. The Sisters In Spirit campaign was an initiative by Aboriginal women to research and document cases of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls, as well as create awareness of the issue.
Many missing posters are shared on social media, and that’s what grabbed Belcourt’s attention. She just didn’t understand mainstream apathy towards this big issue.
“There are so many women and girls going missing and nobody is paying attention,” she said in a telephone interview. “Attention is not being paid by the broader public and the question is ‘why?’
“It’s a healing process for the makers… the achievements of this project are not going to be measured in leaps and bounds. The achievement is the simple acts of honouring and community building on individual levels.
“We are honouring the women. We are sending messages of support to the familes… healing and feeling is the big deal to me.”
The Walking With Our Sisters Commemorative Art Installation will be on tour until 2019. To find out more, visit their website: www.walkingwithoursisters.ca.