About —
The Musée d’art de Joliette and the Centre d’amitié autochtone de Lanaudière have made a concrete commitment to supporting reconciliation by promoting Indigenous art throughout the Nitaskinan territory.
In September 2020, following the death of Joyce Echaquan, the MAJ invited the artist Eruoma Awashish to create a commemorative artwork in her memory. Since then, the MAJ and the CAAL have resolved to transform this initiative into a recurring, collaborative project based on the concept of filiation. Every two years, an artist selected from a list of recommendations made by the previous edition’s artist will be commissioned to produce a new mural. Through this jointly developed programming, the MAJ and the CAAL want to provide greater visibility to practices that inspire the Indigenous creators who benefit from this initiative.
In the spring of 2022, the MAJ, the CAAL, and Eruoma Awashish selected Marie-Claude Néquado, an Atikamekw artist originally from Manawan, to create the next mural, which will be on view for a two-year period in the Museum’s glass-walled front room. Néquado is one of three artists recommended by Awashish to the selection committee. In this showcase to the CAAL, Néquado presents a new work based on her series of portraits of dancers dressed in full regalia, the traditional clothing worn during pow wows. Néquado’s imagination is fueled by the rituals and stories of her community, and her projects allow her to share her culture by giving it a positive, contemporary image. Pow wows are celebratory occasions that highlight the vitality of Indigenous cultures and provide opportunities to build intercultural relationships. These traditional dances also offer a space for healing to those who participate.
At the MAJ, Néquado has chosen to portray two jingle dress dancers, Andréa Ottawa and Waneska Flamand, whose journeys are deeply inspiring to her. The Ojibwe story behind the traditional jingle dress dance tells the tale of a young girl who has become ill, but with the help of her community is cured by performing this dance. As Néquado explains, “Today, when young women dance with their jingle dresses, they welcome others into their dance with tobacco that was given to them by those who are sick. They dance to songs that speak of healing, and afterwards, the tobacco is burned in a sacred fire.” Naquédo’s mural is in keeping with the previous edition by Awashish, who wished to help heal the wounds caused by Joyce Echaquan’s death.
Marie-Claude Néquado is the winner of the 2021 Indigenous Artist Prize from the Grands Prix Desjardins de la culture. A reproduction of her graduation project Awin kirano? (2018), which reflects on intergenerational transmission, can be viewed at the Place de la Fresque in Joliette. The MAJ and the CAAL are pleased to support the development of Néquado’s practice by celebrating her current work.
Marie-Claude Néquado’s mural was unveiled on Saturday, October 15, during the opening of the Musée d’art de Joliette’s fall exhibitions.
Musée d’art de Joliette kirika Centre d’amitié autochtone de Lanaudière otamirotawokw tapickotc kitci pecowamitotcik nehirowisiwok kitci wapitarietcik ka kitcinakok ocitasowinina, nikanik pitakamik ka osapowakanikitek ka ici nokok.
Ni apitc kakone pisimw ka 2020 tato piponikak ka poni pimatisitc Joyce Echaquan, anaha MAJ ki wicamepan Eruoma Awashish kitci ocitaritci tesinikaniw kitci kicteritakositc. Ekoni aspin ka ki wectatcik mocak kitci otamirotcik tapickotc aniki MAJ kirika CAAL. Tato e nico piponikak, kata oramakaniwiw aniheriw ka itotisketc kitci ocitatc ka kitcinakok ocitasowiniw anihi tca kitci wawitcihikotc kaki pe ocitaritci pamitcitc. Ekoni wetci wectatcik aniki MAJ kirika CAAL e wi wapitarietcik tan e ici otamiroritci nehirowisiwa ka tesinikeritci.
Marie-Claude Nequado, ka ocitatc ka kitcinakonik ocitasowina Manawan pe otciw, ki pe oramiko MAJ kirika CAAL kaie Eruoma Awashish kitci wectatc kotakeriw ka kitcinakonik ocitasowiniw, nico pipona irik kita nokoniw nikanik ka ici osapwakanikitek. Wir ki oramakaniwiw e ki nictitcik ka ki ici wamakaniwitcik. Aniheriw tca ke wectatc otci CAAL, ka nimiritci nehirowocimowiniw ka apatcitatcik kecpin e metowaniwonik tato nipina. Ekota e ici aspitcitc e ici mamitoneritamihikotc ka wectatc ka kitcinakonik ocitasowina, kitci miro kiskeritakonik kaie kitci mirowinikaterik nehirowatisiwiniw. Tatow e metowaniwokw mocak mireritcikatew e wapitcikatek tan e aicinakonik kotakik e icihotcik kaie e pecowamitonaniwok kotc e icinakosinaniwok. Takon nimiwina ka natokohiwemakaki.
Nete MAJ, nicw nimiskwewa kata wectaw ke tesinikwatc, Andréa Ottawa acitc Waneska Flamand, e ici mirowinowatc kewir e ki ici pe moteritci esko tewesekahikanimitcik. Anihe atisokan, Ojibway iriniwok otciparin, ickwecic e akosikoponen e ki kikehikotc ni e ki icicimotc. Itew tca : « Anotc, kecpin e icicimotcik ickwecak aniheriw, mirakaniwok tcictemawa kitci nimitcik mekeatc e nikamonaniwonik minawatc mitcictiepanewok anihi tcictemawa kitci ickotek.» Aniheriw ka wi ocitatc Nequado, ekoni kewir e ici wapatak mitowi Awashish e nitoweritak cowatc kitci iterimonaniwonik esko Joyce Echaquan e ki nekatcitatc nac ka mi poni pimatisitc.
Ki kanewiw Marie-Claude Nequado ni apitc 2021 ka tato piponikak ka coweritciketcik Prix Artiste Autochtone des Grands Prix Desjardins de la culture ka icinikatek. Ki ocitakopon ka ickwa kiskinohamasotc e ki icinikatak, Awin kirano ? (2018) e nokonik kiskinorowewiniw ekote nete Place de la Fresque Joliette e acterik. Kicteritamokw Musée kirika CAAL e witcihietcik awacamec kitci kiskeritcikaterik ka ici ocitatc mekwata ka kitcinakonik ocitasowinina.
Ekoni apitc ke moskinikaterik Marie-Claude Nequado ke ocitatc, 15 tato konakisiritena namekosi pisimw, pitc ke wapitariwaniwok wectakana Musée d’art Joliette.
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Biography —
Marie-Claude Néquado, a multidisciplinary artist from Manawan, graduated with a BFA in 2018. Her approach is to convey her cultural heritage and commitment through several forms of creative expression, including silkscreening, engraving, painting, digital printmaking, and drawing. Art allows her to understand and learn more about her identity and culture, which she keeps alive by honouring her Indigenous ancestors. In recent years, her work has been presented in group exhibitions in Terrebonne, Trois-Rivières, and Odanak. Nehirowisiwok, les êtres en équilibre, her first solo exhibition, was organized by Île des Moulins in Terrebonne, in 2020. Néquado is part of the RACEF group, with whom she has been participating in touring exhibitions of Christian visual art since 2021.
This mural is realized with the collaboration of the Centre d’amitié autochtone de Lanaudière
Image in the banner:
Marie-Claude Néquado, Mirwatisiwin. Views from the Fall opening at the Musée d’art de Joliette, 2022. Photo: Romain Guilbault