A continued conversation
Indigenous educators and artists Robert Durocher, Dr. Jenny Kay Dupuis and Lindsay “Eekwol” Knight engaged in an important discussion about Residential Schools yesterday.
Last week, in remembrance of the thousands of children who never returned home from the Kamloops Indian Residential School and those who survived trauma from the residential school system, the AGO lowered its flags to half-staff for 215 hours. Yesterday, the AGO continued to reflect on the ongoing violence faced by Indigenous communities within the borders of Canada by welcoming students, teachers, parents and members of the public to a vital but difficult conversation.
To have this conversation, Audrey Hudson, AGO Richard & Elizabeth Currie Chief of Education & Programming, invited Robert Durocher, Vice-Principal at Kâpapâmahchakwêw - Wandering Spirit School (TDSB), award-winning author, educator and artist Dr. Jenny Kay Dupuis, and hip-hop artist and activist Lindsay “Eekwol” Knight. The panelists shared their knowledge, resilience and spirit in articulating how to reflect and take action using art as an entry point.
Streamed on the AGO.ca homepage, this wide-ranging conversation drew on personal experiences to explore the role of art in reconciliation. Featured in the conversation, and used as educational resources, were artworks in the AGO Collection by Adrian Stimson, Carl Beam and Daphne Odjig. Additional resources can be found at AGO.ca/learn.