The Importance of Artists and Traditional Knowledge Keepers in the Process of Repatriation
Date & Time
Thursday, January 13
7 PM
This event is in the past.
Tickets
Location
VIRTUAL EVENT
Join us from your home!
Indigenous artists and those who are regarded as Traditional Knowledge Keepers, are central to the success of the repatriation process.
Their individual and collective knowledge, skills, and practice can help to verify the origins and histories of artworks currently stored in museums, galleries and in private collections. Artists and Knowledge Keepers are important to the process of clarifying whether artworks are secret, sacred or intended for everyday use. This is important, as there are many examples of artworks in collections with little to no information about the origins of the work, which makes it nearly impossible to determine the community of origin, and ultimately, to whom the work can be repatriated.
As a practicing artist, curator, and in her current role as Acting Head of the Indigenous Collections and Repatriation Department at the Royal BC Museum, Lou-ann will share experiences in designing approaches to repatriation that place artists, knowledge keepers and community at the centre, to inform and guide the museum as we work to repatriate cultural treasures to their respective home communities. She will also speak to a new partnership the museum is developing with Indigenous artists to plan for the future of the museum’s Indigenous Collections.
This event is FREE and open to all.
This event is made possible with support from Friends of Native Art.
About the Artist
Lou-ann Neel is from the Mamalilikulla, Ma’amtagila, and Da’naxda’xw people on her mum’s side of the family; and Kwickwasutaineuk, ‘Namgis and Kwagiulth on her dad’s side of the family.
She comes from a rich history of artists on both sides of her family, and has been practicing in Kwakwaka’wakw design for over forty years now. Lou-ann creates works in various forms—jewelry; textiles and hides; paintings and prints; and vector (digital) designing.
In addition to her arts practice and professional work as Curator and Acting Head of the Indigenous Collection and Repatriation at the Royal BC Museum, Lou-ann has spent that past 40 years volunteering as an advocate for the rights of Indigenous artists across Canada; this includes seeking support for the establishment of Indigenous arts organizations that can provide local and regional support to Indigenous artists – emerging to professional; and advocating for important changes to the Copyright Act and other cultural and intellectual property laws.
Photo: Beth Carter
