Indigenous Art Still Seeking Proper Recognition

Adrian Stimson speaks out

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Has Indigenous art found its proper place in the Canadian art world? That was the question Galleries West posed to Adrian Stimson, an interdisciplinary artist, member of the Siksika (Blackfoot) Nation in southern Alberta and a recipient of a Governor General’s Award for Visual and Media Arts. The essay below is Stimson’s answer to that provocative question. Stimson, who often performs as Buffalo Boy, also selected the images of Indigenous artworks he wanted to illustrate his essay.

As I begin to write this article, the headline “National Gallery Director not interested in decolonization” sets the mood. Regardless of the intent, the insinuation of Jean-François Belisle’s words causes harm in the minds of so many of us diverse artists who deal with issues of colonization every day and have been fighting for years to be included in the white halls of Western art. It also speaks to the current pushback by far-right extremists for anything that would change their power structures, racist agendas and gatekeeping. It also flies in the face of the current government’s reconciliation calls. The perception that public money is being used to discourage decolonization does not sit well with so many who work very hard towards diversity, inclusion and social justice. 

What is a “proper place” for Indigenous Art in the Canadian Art World? The Indigenous curatorial collective/Collectif des commissaires autochtones (ICCA) advocates and engages with arts and cultural organizations to develop, build, and increase opportunities for Indigenous curators, artists, critics and cultural organizations. In chatting with Lori Beavis, a member of the ICCA’s board of directors and director of the Indigenous artist-run Centre d’art daphne in Montreal, it is clear that advocacy continues, yet the numbers of Indigenous people in top jobs are few. The National Gallery of Canada has the Indigenous Ways and Decolonization Department with eight positions, including vice-president, director, managers, curators and assistants.

However, not all institutions in Canada got the decolonization memo. Regina’s MacKenzie Art Gallery is the only major art institution led by an Indigenous person — John G. Hampton, executive director & CEO. The Vancouver Art Gallery has Richard Hill as senior curator; Saskatoon’s Remai Modern has Tarah Hogue, Indigenous curator; the Art Gallery of Alberta has Melissa-Jo Belcourt Moses, adjunct curator of Indigenous Art; Johnathan Lainey is curator Indigenous cultures at the McCord Stewart Museum in Montreal; and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts just hired an Indigenous curator, Léuli Eshrāghi, an Indigenous Samoan. Not being an Indigenous Canadian opens another conversation on Indigenous representation. 

There are improvements compared with our recent past. At least major galleries seem intent on addressing diversity and inclusion. Almost all galleries have diversity and inclusion statements, some have Indigenous resident elders and programmers.

Yet, there are almost no Indigenous people leading institutions. Many organizations say recruitment is a problem. Are there really so few Indigenous museum/gallery professionals available for CEO positions? This is hard to confirm as stats are not available and perhaps there is fatigue: Often the Indigenous employee is expected to have all the answers and to repair the institution’s decades of neglect.

To find a proper place for Indigenous art in the Canadian art world, we need to examine the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its calls to action in recommendations 67-70 for museums and archives. No. 67 reads:  “We call upon the federal government to provide funding to the Canadian Museums Association to undertake, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, a national review of museum policies and best practices to determine the level of compliance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and to make recommendations."

In 2023, the Canadian Museums Association published a report entitled Workplace Diversity Survey to serve as a starting point for understanding and improving the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion within Canada’s heritage sector. Some of the survey’s key findings: Visible minorities experience the lowest average number of promotions, indicating potential barriers to their career progression; only 4.6 per cent of respondents identified as Indigenous, emphasizing the need for further investigation into workplace diversity and equity; research is needed to understand the representation, experience, and challenges faced by Indigenous individuals in the museum sector; almost 13 per cent of respondents identified as visible minorities, compared with 25 per cent for all of Canada, indicating a need for further research to explore how the museum sector can better support the recruitment, retention, and professional development of individuals from visible minority backgrounds. 

The CMA survey clearly indicates that Indigenous museum professionals have not reached their proper place in the Canadian art world. There is still much work to do in the recruitment and retention of Indigenous museum/gallery professionals. It is a good start in understanding the challenges of ensuring Indigenous inclusion. Yet, the process is slow.

I can’t help but recall the 1988 Glenbow Museum exhibition in Calgary called The Spirit Sings, which prompted the 2002 book of essays On Aboriginal Representation in the Gallery by Lynda Jessup and Shannon Bagg. The book quotes Lee-Ann Martin, one of Canada’s most celebrated Indigenous curators: “‘Periodic’ or ‘soft’ inclusion…absolves the institution from a long-term commitment to the serious treatment of works by Native artists…This intermittent inclusion, or tokenism, almost always guarantees consistent exclusion… and gives the impression that there is no problem of exclusion.”  

While this refers to works of art/artists, I would posit that Indigenous museum professionals have the same experience. 

In reviewing the survey and talking to Indigenous curators and artists, there is still a feeling that Indigenous arts are underrepresented and have not reached a proper place in the Canadian art world. We are also entering into a more controversial and combative time with political struggles both nationally and internationally. The recent decolonization controversy at the National Gallery reveals the complexities not only within the gallery system but also with external influences, including donors, collectors, and governments. We must not ignore the growing diversity within the Indigenous community. We don’t all feel and think the same way, which, when reported, is often used against us.

The struggle for Indigenous museum professionals and artists is real and still concerning. I haven’t even touched on artist-run centres, which seem to be doing a better job in diversity and inclusion while commercial galleries do little to advance Indigenous or minority art.

This is not to say there are no allies. In fact, there are many allies doing great diversity work.

Yet, sadly, the anti-woke, anti-decolonization and anti-diversity forces continue their attacks. Indigenous people know we must fight for our inclusion at every turn. While there seems to be more allies, there are still a lot of battles brewing, obstacles to overcome and gatekeepers who need to turn in their keys. 

I would be remiss if I did not explore what I think that proper place should be for Indigenous art in Canada. Over the years, several Indigenous scholars, artists and curators have written about what our collective hopes are. We need to re-examine that archive to gauge any advancement, as well as our collective visions of the future. It is my hope that all museums and galleries would either have an Indigenous person in a position of power or a collaborative directorship. We need more Indigenous-owned and -operated art institutions that exhibit both Indigenous and non-Indigenous art; more contemporary Indigenous art exhibitions, including solo exhibitions; more opportunities for Indigenous curatorial/ museum studies; and more Indigenous critical writing to explore ideas. 

As Indigenous artists, curators, and museum professionals we must continue the actions toward inclusion and diversity. We are incredibly patient, as the timeline and statistics prove. However, patience only lasts so long. A new generation of Indigenous artists, curators and museum professionals will change art institutions for Indigenous art to reach its proper place in the Canadian art world. ■

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