Dylan Robinson - Arts of Engagement: Taking Aesthetic Action In and Beyond the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada

ARTS OF ENGAGEMENT

Indigenous Studies Series

The Indigenous Studies Series builds on the successes of the past and is inspired by recent critical conversations about Indigenous epistemological frameworks. Recognizing the need to encourage burgeoning scholarship, the series welcomes manuscripts drawing upon Indigenous intellectual traditions and philosophies, particularly in discussions situated within the Humanities.

Series Editor:

Dr. Deanna Reder (Mtis), Assistant Professor, First Nations Studies and English, Simon Fraser University

Advisory Board:

Dr. Jo-ann Archibald (Sto:lo), Associate Dean, Indigenous Education, University of British Columbia

Dr. Kristina Bidwell (Labrador-Mtis), Associate Professor, English, University of Saskatchewan

Dr. Daniel Heath Justice (Cherokee), Associate Professor, English, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Literature and Expressive Culture, University of British Columbia

Dr. Eldon Yellowhorn (Piikani), Associate Professor, Archaeology, Director of First Nations Studies, Simon Fraser University

Wilfrid Laurier University Press acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund for its publishing activities. This work was supported by the Research Support Fund.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Arts of engagement : taking aesthetic action in and beyond the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada / Dylan Robinson and Keavy Martin, editors. (Indigenous studies series)

(Indigenous studies series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Issued in print and electronic formats.
ISBN 978-1-77112-169-9 (paperback).ISBN 978-1-77112-171-2 (epub).ISBN 978-1-77112-170-5 (pdf)

1. Indian artsPolitical aspectsCanada. 2. Indian artsSocial aspectsCanada. 3. AestheticsPolitical aspectsCanada. 4. AestheticsSocial aspectsCanada. 5. Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. I. Robinson, Dylan, [date], author, editor II. Martin, Keavy, 1982, author, editor III. Garneau, David, 1962 . Imaginary spaces of conciliation and reconciliation. IV. Series: Indigenous studies series

E98.A73A78 2016 700.8997071 C2015-907847-4
C2015-907848-2

Cover design by hwtstudio.com. Front-cover image: Giants Among Us, by Bracken Hanuse Corlett. Text design by Janet Zanette.

2016 Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
www.wlupress.wlu.ca

This book is printed on FSC certified paper and is certified Ecologo. It contains post-consumer fibre, is processed chlorine free, and is manufactured using biogas energy.

Printed in Canada

Every reasonable effort has been made to acquire permission for copyright material used in this text, and to acknowledge all such indebtedness accurately. Any errors and omissions called to the publishers attention will be corrected in future printings.

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First and foremost, our thanks go to the thousands of Indian residential school survivors and their families whose stories we had the privilege of listening to at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission national events. We also want to acknowledge the TRC commissioners and organizers who carried out the momentous task of implementing their part of the Settlement Agreementand who provided us with the opportunity to think much more deeply about the possibilities and problems of reconciliation. The TRCs hard-hitting summary report and in particular the ninety-four calls to action are deserving of our utmost attention.

We would like to thank the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for the funding that allowed us to form a research collective and to attend several of the TRC national events. We also acknowledge the support of the European Research Council for their funding of the Indigeneity in the Contemporary World project at Royal Holloway, University of London. We are also grateful to Petah Inukpuk, to Avataq Cultural Institute, to the Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan, and to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada for allowing us to use the various images included in this collection.

To all of our co-researchers and contributors, we thank you for the privilege of our many conversations and for the important and challenging work that you are carrying out. Our thinking was enriched by several people whose work is not represented in this collection, but whose presence at our gatherings was integral to the evolution of this book: Helen Gilbert, Rob Innes, Niigaanwewidam Sinclair, Christopher Teuton, and Jocelyn Thorpe. To the artists who have shared their time and discussed their work with usin particular, Bracken Hanuse Corlett, Georgina Lightning, Luke Marston, Peter Morin, Lisa Ravensbergen, Armand Garnett Ruffo, Susan Aglukark, and Andrea Menardthank you for demonstrating for us the potential of aesthetic action. We are particularly grateful to Bracken Hanuse Corlett for the beautiful and inspiring work Giants Among Us, which graces the cover of this volume.

There have been numerous academic and artistic colleagues who have deepened our understandings of the role of artistic practice in processes of conciliation. To the members of the REwork(s) in Progress projectAshok Mathur, Sophie McCall, Trina Bolam, Jonathan Dewar, Steve Loft, Ayumi Goto, Gabrielle LHirondelle Hillyour cutting-edge work continues to set the bar high for us. To the staff at Shingwauk Residential School Centre, we extend our gratitude for hosting us there from September 27 to October 3 during the REwork(s) in Progress gathering. Thank you also to Len Findlay and to the attendees at the University of Saskatchewans Cultures of Reconciliation: Academic, Artistic, Activist. Daniel Heath Justice has been a constant mentor throughout the development of the project and collection. Similarly, Dylan thanks Lumlamelut Laura Wee Lay Laq for her continuing mentorshipy kwel sqw:lewel kwas west. We are also indebted to Kristina Bidwell for providing space for our meeting at the University of Saskatchewan and to Helen Marzolf for hosting our meeting at the Open Space artist-run centre in Victoria.

We are hugely thankful for the support of our editors, Lisa Quinn and Rob Kohlmeier, and their team at Wilfrid Laurier University Pressand to our two peer reviewers for their insightful suggestions. Thank you also to the research assistantsAaron Franks and Patrick Nicklesonwho have carried this project along at various stages. And to our familiesin particular, Keren Zaiontz (for Dylan) and Richard Van Camp and Edzazii (for Keavy)we are, as always, thankful for the unconditional support and love you have shared with us during the project.