Introducing The Art of Sovereignty Podcast!

I'm very excited to announce that our podcast about Indigenous art and narrative sovereignty is finally here!! What an amazing experience it has been making this podcast, including fighting for our own narrative sovereignty and building an ALL Indigenous production team (all the writing, interviewing, hosting, and audio editing, is done by Indigenous folks, our logo is designed by artist Sonny Assu and the first words you'll hear on each episode are in our languages). We felt this was so important for a podcast about OUR sovereignty, taking back our history, and telling OUR stories. We also spoke with amazing Indigenous artists, curators, and educators. I cannot wait for you to hear it!!

The first two episodes are out and they explore the lives, artwork, and stereotypes that followed Norval Morrisseau and Daphne Odjig as they broke into the contemporary art scene in Canada and how they pushed back to share their stories for future generations.

Nyawen'kó:wa to Ossie Michelin for his out-of-this-world support during this process, Chris Beaver, for being my NDN partner in crime at TVO, and for his fantastic editing.

I also couldn't have finished this project without the encouraging words of Bonnie Devine and her kindness and generosity in sharing her story and about the art of the Anishinaabe people. As well as the support and mentorship of Betty Ann Adam, who taught me about asking for what you need and making space for Indigenous stories in media.

And, of course, to the do-it-all woman who runs the podcast show at TVO, Katie O'Connor - thank you for holding it all together!

I cannot wait for you to hear us on The Art of Sovereignty. Like, share, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

https://www.tvo.org/podcasts/the-art-of-sovereignty

I was a Digital Publishing Awards judge this year!

I am happy to announce that this year I was a judge for the Digital Publishing Awards, which I was nominated for last year. A full list of the judges is available here. And the nominees will be announced on May 5.

2021 Indigenous Photograph Year in Pictures

Take a moment to check out some beautiful work by Indigenous photographers from around the world. So happy to have one of my photos included in the 2021 Indigenous Photograph Year in Pictures

Community film screening - Healing through Storytelling

Please join us on Thursday, December 16 for a community screening of the film documentation of the project "Healing through Storytelling”.

"Studies in Solitude" - Agnes Etherington Artist Residency

Studios in Solitude is a micro-residency program probing solitude’s dual potential as both a disruptive force and site of historic privilege. This past year has required artists to repeatedly pause, pivot and adapt their practices. In recognition of this precarious backdrop for artmaking, and in keeping with Agnes’s new iterative style of programming that emphasizes the social and civic function of the gallery, this micro-residency offers Agnes’s space and resources to support solitary contemplation or creation without the pressure of productivity. Participating artists-in-residence are site-specific theatre artist Mo Horner, multimedia and beadwork artist Shelby Lisk, graphic artist ck nosun and multimedia installation artist Vivian Sheng.

FREE FOOD: Food Sovereignty Film Screening and Panel

Join us for a screening of Rematriate: Passing the Seeds by Shelby Lisk, and a discussion on paths to food sovereignty with Ama Amponsah of Seed Change Canada, and Professors Nikki Auten (Indigenous Studies, Fleming College) and Priscilla Settee (Indigenous People’s program, University of Saskatchewan).

Tuesday October 26, 6 PM EST
Film screening & discussion on Zoom

My photography featured on LENSCRATCH

“A year ago, Spirit: Focus on Indigenous, Art, Artists and Issues, was launched featuring artists Will Wilson, Shelley Niro, Meryl McMaster, Kiliii Yuyan, Donna Garcia, Pat Kane, Jeremy Dennis, and the collaboration of Kali Spitzer and Bubzee.

The objective was to elevate Indigenous voices and highlight Indigenous issues, as well as create opportunities for the artists, with the end goal being securing purchases of Indigenous artwork within mainstream museums’ permanent collections.

Today, we celebrate Indigenous People’s Day and continue that celebration throughout the week with Indigenous art, artists and issues at the forefront. This year we asked the participants from 2020 to nominate their fellow artists for 2021. This year’s featured artists include Pat Kane and Brian Adams (nominated by Kiliii Yuyan), Robby Dick (nominated by Kali Spitzer), Jenny Irene Miller (nominated by Jeremy Dennis), Shelby Lisk (nominated by Pat Kane), and Tonita Cervantes (nominated by Donna Garcia).”

My work was selected this year and Donna Garcia wrote a great post about my series ‘Time spent breathing with water’ which I created during an artist residency on Toronto Island in 2019:

http://lenscratch.com/2021/10/spirit-focus-on-indigenous-art-artists-and-issues-shelby-lisk/

Outdoor film screening with Breakthroughs Film Festival

On August 15, my film “Rematriate: Passing the Seeds” played at an outdoor screening at the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show with Breakthroughs Film Festival, alongside a program of short films by Indigenous filmmakers. It was the first public screening I have been able to attend since COVID.

Online gender advocacy workshop for Indigenous youth

Join us on August 6th!

‘You belong in this world’: Two-Spirit survivors share their stories

I wanted to wait a little bit to post this as our community continues to grieve. But I do want to share this very important story I had the privilege to work on with four two-spirit residential and day school survivors. We talked about their experiences navigating the world, before, after, and during residential school and where this country has failed and continues to fail two-spirit people.

https://www.tvo.org/article/you-belong-in-this-world-two-spirit-survivors-share-their-stories

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 4,000-page final report does not contain a section dedicated to the specific experiences of Two-Spirit people at residential schools or to the needs of the Two-Spirit community in moving toward reconciliation. In fact, Two-Spirit people are mentioned on only half a page.

“We didn’t know how to cope with life, because we didn’t understand life. The day schools and residential schools, and the Catholic schools, they all taught us the same thing: that it was wrong to be who we were," says Two-Spirit Elder Charlotte Nolin.

“Because of how I grew up, I was so terrified of offending anybody that I chose not to do anything for many, many years,” says Connie Merasty. “But I wish somebody had told me, ‘You belong in this world, you’re a part of this world, you’re a part of creation, and you have every right to be on Earth.’”

The individuals I spoke with were a part of a storytelling project organized by Fierté Canada Pride and led by Jennifer LaFontaine. Over the next three months, there will be a number of screenings of digital stories that were created as a part of the workshops, with the storytellers in attendance. The first screening (link below) will take place on July 22 in a joint presentation with Fierté Canada Pride and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. There will be additional sharing events announced.

https://watch.eventive.org/.../60c3d11b8cc4600e2c9739ddand