Tāpis: A love letter to our Dog Kin

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Adele ᒪᐢᑿᓱᐤᐏᐢᑵᐤArseneau, 2024

(courtesy of the artist)

Conceived by Nehiyaw and Michif knowledge keeper, Elder-in-training, and multi-disciplinary artist Adele ᒪᐢᑿᓱᐤᐏᐢᑵᐤArseneau, Tāpis: A love letter to our Dog Kin exhibits nine intricately beaded dog blankets.

Over the course of a 20-week online residency ledby Adele, four Indigenous beaders whose communities traditionally used Tāpis, learned how to create this important piece of regalia to honour their Dog Kin. This exhibition seeks to share the history of Tāpis and recognize the significant responsibility these beaders have undertaken to rebuild chains of knowledge damaged by colonialism and the residential school system.