Prince George-based artist Erin Stagg is telling the story of the Métis throughout the region.
Her exhibition, Otipemisewak: The People Who Own Themselves, which was on display at Two Rivers Gallery in Prince George earlier this year, will travel throughout the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George from June to November, starting in the District of Mackenzie.
The exhibition will visit the Mackenzie Community Arts Centre from June 22 to July 30, before appearing at the Valemount Museum and Archive from Aug. 15 to Sept. 26, and then the Valley Museum and Archives in McBride from Oct. 15 to Nov. 17.
The title of Stagg’s exhibition comes from a name the Cree gifted to the Métis many years ago.
Otipemisewak, which translates to “the people who own themselves,” refers to the Métis identity as not partly European and partly Indigenous, but entirely their own. This independence, resilience, and indomitable spirit was beautifully captured in Stagg’s series of acrylic paintings, which illustrates stories of the Métis people through the lens of her own family history.
When asked about sharing her work with the communities of Northern B.C., Stagg said: “Growing up in this area, I was never exposed to Métis stories. I didn’t know what it meant to be Métis. There was a stigma to being Métis that stopped our stories from being passed down. This collection brings the stories of my family history to light and celebrates them in a loving way. My hope is that other Métis people might find a sense of kinship and love for their own family stories.”
