Weekly We Make: Rooting
Share:
Joi T. Arcand, to the depth of a plow, 2017. Courtesy of the artist.
About the Weekly We Make Activity
Inspired by the artwork to the depth of a plow by Joi T. Arcand, decorate a plant pot and sow a seed to start a new relationship with nature. Think about how you and the plant will give and take in this new relationship, and what responsibilities you have to your new little friend. You can view the work that inspired this workshop in person in the exhibition Joi T. Arcand: ayâtaskisow, on view now at the MacKenzie Art Gallery until 22 March 2026.
This workshop is led by one of our amazing Gallery Educators.
About Weekly We Make
It’s an art party! Weekly We Make at the MacKenzie Art Gallery, presented by Canada Life, is an opportunity for individuals and families to drop in and create artwork.
Learn about the artists and artworks in MacKenzie’s Permanent Collection and featured exhibitions with weekly in-person hands-on workshops that can be modified for all ages. Visit our studio to make art with Gallery Educators and guest artists, exploring new and beloved techniques and art materials.
There is no cost to attend these drop-in sessions. All materials are provided.
The Artwork that Inspired Us
This artwork is a set of photographs taken when Joi’s father retired from farming. Many of Joi’s artworks tell the story of her family’s relationship to the land, particularly through farming. She also examines the relationships between Indigenous people and newcomers to Canada.
The phrase “to the depth of a plow” refers to an Indigenous understanding of the treaties. Many Indigenous believed that they were agreeing to share the land with European settlers, not to give up the land. They saw the treaties as marking this new relationship between peoples and land.
At the time, the government said that we would live together, that I am not here to take away what you have now…I am here to borrow the land…to the depth of a plough…that is how much I want.
Senator Allan Bird (Montreal Lake Cree Nation, Treaty 6) in The Numbered Treaties: 18711921 – AFN It’s Our Time Toolkit, https://education.afn.ca/afntoolkit/web-modules/plain-talk-4-treaties/1-treaties-and-why-they-are-important/the-numbered-treaties-1-11-1871-1921/.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Joi T. Arcand is a nēhiyaw (Plains Cree), German Canadian, and Métis artist. She grew up on the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Treaty 6 territory, surrounded by family.
Her father, Mervyn, farmed on the reserve. This relationship to the land is an important part of her artworks.
Joi studied art at the University of Saskatchewan, where she focused on photography. She has also studied Cree language at the University nuhelotʼįne thaiyotsʼį nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills.
Joi now lives in Ottawa, Ontario, but visits Saskatchewan often.
Joi T. Arcand, to the depth of a plow, 2017. Courtesy of the artist.
Studio Activity
Decorate a plant pot and sow a seed to start a new relationship with nature. Think about how you and the plant will give and take in this new relationship, and what responsibilities you have to your new little friend.
MATERIALS
- small plastic plant pots and drip trays
- potting soil
- seeds for plants that can be grown indoors
- acrylic paints
- paint brushes
- water containers for cleaning brushes
- flat paint palettes
- parchment paper
- spray bottles
- masking tape
- water cups
- plastic wrap
- elastics
- popsicle sticks
- sharpies
- pictures of native plants
INSTRUCTIONS
- Plan how you want to decorate your pot.
- Prepare a paint palette. Spray it with a little water and tape a piece of parchment paper over top. Pour your paints onto the parchment paper.
- Start painting! Paint the outside of the pot only.
- Choose which type of seeds you want to plant, if there are multiple options. Write the type of plant on a popsicle stick, which you can stick in the pot as a label at home. If you are imagining your plant as a person, you could also give them a name and write it on the other side of the stick.
- Fill your pot with soil and gently press it down.
- Plant about three seeds in a triangle shape in your pot. If you are doing this at the gallery, a facilitator will tell you how deep to plant each type of seed. If you are doing this at home, check the package from your seeds.
- Gently water in your seeds. A watering can with lots of little holes, like a shower head, is less likely to move your seeds around.
- Take a small square of plastic wrap and put it over your pot. Put a rubber band around the top of your pot to hold the plastic wrap in place. When you get home, and you find your plant in its new spot, poke a few holes in the plastic wrap so a little air can move through. This will act as a humidity dome, keeping moisture in while your seed is starting to grow (germinating).
- Be sure to take home your popsicle stick label and a drip tray for under your plant.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
- What relationships do you have with the land? What gives and takes are there in those relationships?
- What relationship can you have with the plant you’ll sow today? What will you have to give to your plant? What will your plant give to you?
- Who do you share the land with?
IMPORTANT WORDS
- Treaty—an agreement that forms a relationship between two or more groups of people. Treaties often include rights and responsibilities that the groups agree to. When we talk about treaties in Canada, we are often referring to the eleven numbered treaties that are agreements between Indigenous nations and the Crown (the King or Queen of Great Britain and Canada).
