Kwaata-nihtaawakihk – A Hard Birth
On view through September 3, 2022
Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Province of Manitoba in 2020, “A Hard Birth” will take you on a journey through history from a Métis perspective by pairing artwork with archival materials. Kwaata-nihtaawakihk is Michif for hard birth.
Manitoba’s entry into the Canadian confederation was fraught, marked not only by organized resistance but also by deep and careful thinking about the future and its possibilities. “Kwaata-nihtaawakihk – A Hard Birth” (pronounced kwa-ta knee-ta wa kick) will prompt you to reflect on the Métis nation’s role in Manitoba’s creation and consider the significance of the events of 1869-70 in relation to our current times. This exhibition will guide you to a better understanding of the Métis, Anishinaabek, Cree, and European experiences of debate and negotiation, displacement, trauma, and resilience.
[Image: Jennine Krauchi. Beaded Picture Frame, 2020. Courtesy of the artist. University of Manitoba Archives, Special Collections. Group of Eight Red River Settlement Carte de Visites Collection, A2013-005]
