Winnipeg Art Gallery Renames Historical Art Using Indigenous Knowledge

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The Winnipeg Art Gallery is renaming works with "inappropriate" titles in its collection as part of a decolonization initiative it says is new to the Canadian museum world. The initiative, which includes both the gallery and Qaumajuq, the new Inuit art centre, was undertaken with the help of Indigenous Knowledge Keepers.

"As with many historical art collections, there are works in the WAG-Qaumajuq permanent collection that have titles with words like “Indian,” “savage” or “eskimo,” which are inappropriate in today’s context," the gallery said in a release. "Through this initiative, 57 artworks, some belonging to the Government of Nunavut, were identified and researched to determine which Indigenous Nation is depicted."

Julia Lafreniere, head of the gallery's Indigenous initiatives, says such a project has not been undertaken before at a major art institution.

"I’m very proud that WAG-Qaumajuq has taken the bold move of addressing the issue of problematic titles by inviting Indigenous knowledge into the heart of the institution – our collection. My hope is that other art galleries in Canada will take note and follow suit. Too often in Canadian history we are unnamed or numbered, and it was a powerful moment to watch Indigenous relatives depicted in these artworks receive a proper name."

WAG-Qaumajuq is home to 28,000 artworks, with close to 14,000 Indigenous works and nearly 7,400 pieces held in trust on loan from the Government of Nunavut.

The gallery will host a live presentation about the project on Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. 

Source: Winnipeg Art Gallery