Two Indigenous displays coming to Niagara Falls History Museum

There will be two new Indigenous art displays in the Niagara Falls History Museum and both will be unveiled on June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day.

The pieces of artists Tracey-Mae Chambers and Nadya Kwandibens that will appear this week will remain on display at the Museum throughout the summer.

Métis-settler visual artist Chambers has created #hopeandhealingcanada, a textile piece constructed of red wool, silk and cotton yarn. Since July 2021, Chambers has created over 100 installations at residential school historical sites, museums, art galleries and other public spaces.

Chambers says, “Many of these spaces serve to present a colonial viewpoint and primarily speak about the settlers who arrived and lived there, but not the Indigenous people that were displaced along the way.”

She adds that she’s hoping to bridge the gap between settlers and Indigenous, Métis, and Inuit people by creating art “that is approachable and non-confrontational (and) starts a conversation about decolonization and reconciliation.”

Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) artist Kwandibens has created The Red Chair Sessions – an ongoing portraiture series that places importance on the acknowledgement and reclamation of Indigenous lands and the revitalization of Indigenous languages.

In her artist statement, Kwandibens says, “The colour red represents Indigenous Peoples on the Medicine Wheel and, in this series, signifies Indigenous Peoples’ inherent connection to the land and to ancestral bloodlines. This series ultimately disrupts colonial narratives, centers Indigenous Peoples who have been here since time immemorial, and reminds us that we are all guests on Indigenous land.”

For more information, including Niagara Falls History Museum hours of operation and admission prices, visit HERE.

Métis-settler visual artist Tracey-Mae Chambers