Public Art Wood Buffalo is proud to present Honour & Remember, a group exhibition curated by Jes Croucher, which tells the visual story of Indigenous Peoples who have been lost to the epidemic of Missing, Murdered, Exploited Indigenous Peoples (MMEIP) on Turtle Island (North America), specific to Canada and Wood Buffalo.
You are invited to view the exhibition in person at the lobby of Jubilee Centre (9909 Franklin Ave.) until May 31, 2023 during business hours.
Hilary honours the presenting artist’s niece, Hilary, who was brutally taken from her family at the young age of 16.
On September 5, 2009, Hilary went out to a party with friends in Esgenoopetitj First Nation, and never came home. She was reported missing, and the search began to find her.
The next morning at 7:52 a.m., Hilary texted her cousin, “please answer me I’m scared”.
She sent another text an hour later, "OMF text me I'm scared".
Hilary was found 2 months later buried in a wooded area. Her paternal cousin had sexually assaulted and raped her.
Hilary’s family has never been the same since this tragedy. Her mother lost a part of her soul when she lost her only daughter.
Tears of Sorrow honours three sisters from First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The sisters are shown as a woman, young woman and child.
Imagery of powerful animals associated with medicine wheel are central to the piece. The medicine wheel carries many meanings and teachings in Indigenous culture including connection to different groups of people across the country and around the world. From the artist’s perspective, each quarter of Tears of Sorrow represents a connection with different people across the world.
From the artist’s perspective, the four quarters - the bear, eagle, buffalo and wolf - represent a connection with different people across the world. In this piece, all people are grieving the loss of each sister who has been stolen. The animals cry out in anger and sorrow for the sisters. The pain and grief is felt across our nation and beyond.
Made of traditionally tanned moose hide and beads, Mary Irla created this vest for her son Jeremy’s wedding. The vest tells a story of Jeremy and his husband Nils’ family through the beadwork.
Each flower tells a story of Jeremy’s Métis and European heritage and Nils’ Norwegian heritage. The tiger lily and hummingbird are a representation of his maternal grandparents, George and Pearl Bourque whose families both lived in Fort Chipewyan for generations. The daisies represent Mary, Jeremy’s mother.
The dogwood flower is a representation of British Columbia where Jeremy and Nils met. The wild rose is the flower Jeremy most loves and is a representation of Alberta, the province of his birth. The purple heather flower is for Nils as it is the national flower of Norway. The tiger lily and dahlia flowers represent Jeremy’s father’s family.
Included is the traditional Métis flower beadwork which is Jeremy’s ancestry. The vest took countless, long days and hours of beading over a three-month period. Jeremy proudly wore the vest on his wedding day along with his Métis sash to honour his Métis mother, grandparents and love of his Indigenous culture.
The Vase represents the traditional ribbon skirt and is decorated with the four colours of man and the double curves, which are a part of the presenting artist’s Mi’kmaq heritage.
Traditional ribbon skirts are reserved for special ceremonies or events. Each colour of the ribbons represents a special meaning or person. For Indigenous Peoples, ribbon skirts can represent reclaiming identity and cultural pride. The vase captures the beauty of the skirt, which can be filled with flowers to represent healing.
This piece was created using a cone 6 coffee clay fired with hand painted designs created with underglaze. It was hand thrown from a wheel and took several weeks to complete.
About Erica Augustine
Erica Augustine, moved to Fort McMurray in 2014 from Esgenoopetitj First Nation, New Brunswick.
She has now created the life she always dreamt of. A successful Indigenous business owner (Aquila Consulting Executives Inc.), Erica doesn’t call herself an artist. Her piece, Hilary, is a way to honour her niece who was murdered and taken from her family at a young age.
About Amy Keller-Rempp
Amy is a Mohawk artist (Member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte) residing in Fort McMurray, Alberta. Born with a natural gift which has helped her survive pain and suffering, Amy has been painting and creating since she was a child. Growing up with a disabled father suffering from MS kept her painting throughout her teenage years and continues to be a positive outlet. With over 30 years of creative experience, Amy allows her mind to be fully open to receive visions from our Creator without limitations. She is a vessel and will continue to paint the visions she receives. She believes this is her purpose. The Creator will speak the story of each of her paintings to anyone who’s open and willing.
About Mary Irla
Mary Bourque Irla was born in Fort Smith, NT. She is a fifth generation Métis from Wood Buffalo as her family had resided in Fort Chipewyan for generations. Mary’s family also lived at Embarrass Portage along the Athabasca River.
She currently lives in Fort McMurray. Mary comes from a long line of Métis harvesters, trappers and lives a traditional lifestyle. She is the proud mother of two adult children and one granddaughter. Mary loves the outdoors and has canoed from Fort McMurray to Fort Chipewyan with her family including her granddaughter, son, niece, nephew, sister and cousin several times. She has a strong connection to the river as that was the “highway” of her ancestors for generations before her.
Mary is an active member of the Fort McMurray Métis Local 1935.
About Michelle Ploughman
Michelle grew up in Flat Bay Newfoundland but has made Fort McMurray home for over 16 years. Her interest in art started at a young age which led to an education in fine arts.
Michelle joined the pottery guild in town insert when and has been refining her skills since. Michelle is currently a hobby potter, and her work can be spotted around town displayed as The Saltwater Potter or on social media under saltwaterpotter.
About Miranda Beaton
Miranda Beaton is a deadleh Dene woman and mother from Fort McKay First Nation (FMFN). She is an HR professional with 15+ years of leadership and management experience and works every day to lift Indigenous voices and create long-lasting opportunities and growth for First Nations people.
In her downtime, she enjoys writing poetry as an outlet for healing. She wrote this poem to acknowledge and bring awareness to the MMIWG2S+ national crisis.
Curatorial Statement |
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Honour & Remember is a group exhibition acknowledging Indigenous peoples who have been lost to the epidemic of Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls & 2SLGBTQQIA+ people (MMIWG2S+), and Missing, Murdered, Exploited Indigenous Peoples (MMEIP) on Turtle Island (North America), specific to Canada and the region of Wood Buffalo. The exhibition seeks to tell the visual story of the ongoing impacts of colonial violence on Indigenous Peoples told through traditional and contemporary mediums, as well as to bring awareness to the grassroots movements of MMIWG2S+ and MMEIP. The exhibition features a delicate balance between subjective and objective artworks. Artworks are intended to guide the viewers through personal stories of grief and loss, but also through collective strength and empowerment of Indigenous peoples in relation to the movements. Viewers are encouraged to seek value in Indigenous voice relevant to the issues that impact the people and communities directly, and to connect with the stories, teachings, and people behind the artworks. Honour & Remember hosts mediums that are traditional and contemporary in nature. Traditional materials such as moosehide and sinew intend to spark curiosity in the viewer to understand the important and longstanding relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the land, specific to natural laws and healing. Contemporary materials such as acrylic paints and glass intend to symbolize the adaptive responsiveness that Indigenous Peoples carry, particularly in advocacy of their sovereign human rights. The marrying of old world and new world materials seek to reflect the inherent resilient spirit of Indigenous Peoples overall. To guide further understanding of the important relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the land, all the artists exhibited in Honour & Remember hold connection to the land within ᓂᐢᑕᐋᐧᔮᐤ nistawâyâw - Ełídlį Kuę́ – Wood Buffalo-Fort McMurray whether they are descendants of the original land stewards of the region or they have established their roots as welcomed visitors. As the Indigenous Arts Curator to Public Art at the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, I share gratitude to the artists for thoughtfully sharing their stories with the region. I am deeply proud of you all. I share gratitude to the families and communities who have been impacted by MMIWG2S+ and MMEIP for courageously embarking on their healing journeys. I will continue to keep you in my prayers. And, lastly, I share gratitude to the people we have lost for guiding us from the spirit world. We will honour and remember you always. ᑭᓇᓈᐢᑯᒥᑎᐣ kinanâskomitin – marsi cho – thank you. Jes Croucher, okanawêyihcihkêw |
The Honour & Remember art exhibition may cause distress. Please reach out to someone you trust or call one of the 24-hour support lines:
- MMIWG2S+ Crisis Line 1-844-413-6649
- Hope for Wellness Helpline 1-855-242-3310
- SOS Crisis Line 780-743-4357
Honour & Remember will be on display in the lobby of Jubilee Centre (9909 Franklin Ave.) until May 31, 2023.
Meet Jes Croucher, okanawêyihcihkêw | Curator |
| Jessica Croucher is a Cree woman, with Dene-Irish-Scottish heritage, and a member of Fort McMurray No. 468 First Nation. She is a practicing artist, owner of Pawâmiw Creative, and a leader in advancing Indigenous cultural practices and awareness within the region of Wood Buffalo. Jessica has a deep ancestral connection to nistawâyâw (Fort McMurray) where her câpân (5x Great Grandfather), Seapotiwakinum, was a co-signatory to the adhesion of the Treaty 8 Agreement in 1899. In her role as curator for Public Art Wood Buffalo, she is focused on restoring the Indigenous narrative of this region through visual storytelling and design while supporting reconciliation efforts of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. |
About MMIWG2S+ |
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Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit+ people disproportionately experience violence, go missing or are murdered, compared to non-Indigenous people. Impacts of colonization such as the devaluing of Indigenous matriarchy continues to perpetuate this epidemic—a national tragedy and shame that requires immediate and sustained awareness and action. |
About MMEIP |
| Missing, Murdered & Exploited Indigenous Peoples is an inclusive term referring to the human rights crisis impacting Indigenous Peoples who are alarmingly over-represented in cases of violence and exploitation. Forced removal from lands, cultures and languages, compounded by the ongoing impacts of colonization, has created a vulnerable narrative that has contributed to the targeting of Indigenous Peoples overall. |
Calls to Justice |
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In 2019, The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls delivered a final report with 231 Calls to Justice to help end violence that has claimed the lives of thousands of Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse peoples. The Calls are legal imperatives to address systemic factors that perpetuate the national epidemic, and centre on Indigenous women and girls’ empowerment. |
Healing |
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Indigenous Peoples hold the inherent ability and sovereign right to heal through their cultural, spiritual and traditional laws and practices. It is essential that Indigenous stories and voices lead action, but that action is supported by adopting the Calls to Justice, creating systemic change and acknowledging Indigenous resilience and brilliance to change the public narrative to end violence on Indigenous peoples once and for all. |
Resources |
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To help continue your learning journey, visit the resources below:
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