MILTON, ON – Conservation Halton is thrilled to announce the opening of the Fire Over Water art exhibit by Indigenous artist Catherine Tàmmaro on Saturday, June 18, 2022. Displayed in the Deer Clan Longhouse at Crawford Lake Conservation Area, this immersive multi-media exhibit honours the Wendat/Wyandot diaspora represented in Dr. Kathryn Magee Labelle’s recently released book, Daughter’s of Aataentsic: Life Stories From Seven Generations.
Together, a member of the Wendat/Wandat Women’s Advisory Council and the artist, Catherine Tàmmaro, have monumentalized a unique perspective that offers an opportunity to explore the intersections of land, women and dispersal through their Ancestral continuum and a series of multi-disciplinary pieces ranging from paintings to videos and multi-media works. The installation provides reflections on changes in politics, spirituality, and the overall consequences of colonial attacks to subvert and erase the Wendat/Wyandot people.
The site of the art installations is another key element to the Fire Over Water exhibit. The longhouse village at Crawford Lake is believed to have been home to ancestors of the Wendat or Attawanderon people and this exhibit represents an important conversation with this special space and its history.
“I am incredibly grateful to the Women’s Advisory Council for their continued guidance throughout this journey;” says author Dr. Kathryn Magee Labelle, “to Brenna Bartley (Conservation Halton Education Manager), for her unwavering support as we conclude the project here at Crawford Lake; and to the utrihot (Faithkeeper) Catherine Tàmmaro whose groundbreaking artwork shines brightly, not only on the cover of the book, but throughout Fire Over Water.”
The public is invited to attend the opening of Fire Over Water on Saturday, June 18 at 7 pm in the Deer Clan Longhouse at Crawford Lake. There will be the opportunity to meet the artist and author Professor Labelle in addition to learning more about the history of the Wendat/Wyandot/Wyandotte people. Light refreshments will also be served. Anyone interested in attending is encouraged to make reservations at Crawford Lake at www.parkvisit.ca.
After the opening, the exhibit runs from June 19 to December 31 on holidays and weekends and daily from July 1 to September 4, 2022. For more information, please visit https://www.conservationhalton.ca/event/fire-over-water-art-exhibit/2022-06-18/
Conservation Halton is the community based environmental agency that protects, restores, and manages the natural resources in its watershed. The organization has staff that includes ecologists, land use planners, engineers, foresters and educators, along with a network of volunteers, who are guided by a Board of Directors comprised of municipally elected and appointed citizens. Conservation Halton is recognized for its stewardship of creeks, forests and Niagara Escarpment lands through science-based programs and services. Learn more at conservationhalton.ca.