Living In A Separate Reality

 This sculpture is entitled Inuit Today, by Pierre Karlik, done in 1974.

A Separate Reality is a dramatic painting by Norval Morrisseau, one of the great Canadian indigenous artists. It dates between 1979-84.

Peoples of the far north would build shelters from whale bones, digging into the ground first, and erecting a dome of bones overhead, covered over with skins. It made for a warm place to live in.

Peoples of the central plains had their whole lives revolve around the bison. Their weapons and tools were oriented towards that.

The Metis are a people in and of themselves- a blend of indigenous peoples and French-speakers who married into the tribes. Their clothing can be seen in this display.

In the corridor can be found Nishga Girl. This fishing boat is the legacy of a friendship between an Indigenous chief and a Japanese-Canadian boat builder.

These four paintings are collectively called The Seasons, by Alex Janvier, the great Dene artist, commissioned by the museum in 1978 and finished by 1983. Janvier was an abstract artist, a style I don't normally go for, but I love his work.