Paul Seesequasis—Turning the Lens: Indigenous Archive Project

About the Exhibition

Curated By

Arin Fay with Felicia Gay

Organized & Circulated By

Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery

Galleries

Sim Gallery

Turning the Lens: Indigenous Archive Project is many things at once. It’s a photography/history exhibition, a naming project, and a social media campaign. This exhibition allows visitors to think about the many ways we record shared histories as public memory. Why are certain stories valued by different people, groups or organizations?

This exhibition features images of Indigenous peoples from the 1950s-1960s taken by photojournalist Rosemary Gilliat Eaton. At each location that this exhibition is shown, Paul adds local images and stories to the project.

Turning the Lens celebrates the everyday life and ongoing resilience in Canadian Indigenous communities.

Edgar Rossie Chief Series

In 1919 photos were taken of regional Indigenous leaders from Treaty 4 territory in Regina, SK by photographer Edgar Rossie in his studio.

Photographs likely document a re-enactment of the Treaty 4 signing in 1874, signatories included the Cree, and Saulteaux Nations. The Prince of Wales, Prince Edward on royal tour came through Regina in 1919, and it is presumed to be the reason why so many Indigenous leaders travelled to the city.

In these photos are many leaders from surrounding areas that are unnamed. Perhaps you might know they are? Maybe someone in these photos is an ancestor or someone from your community. Gathering information and naming our people in the archive takes a community of people.

Signing nations include:

Gambler’s First Nation, MB; Pine Creek First Nation, MB; Rolling River First Nation, Tootinaowaziibeeng Treaty Reserve (all signed on Treaty 2 territory); File Hills Tribal Council includes; Carry The Kettle First Nation; Little Black Bear First Nation; Muscowpetung First Nation; Neekaneet First Nation; Okanese First Nation; Pasqua First Nation; Peepeekisis Cree Nation; Piapot First Nation; Standing Buffalo First Nation; Star Blanket Cree Nation; Saskatoon Tribal Council includes; Kinistin Saulteaux Nation; Yellow Quill First Nation; Touchwood Agency Tribal Council includes; Day Star First Nation; Fishing Lake First Nation; George Gordon first Nation; Kawacatoose First Nation; Muskowekwan First Nation; Yorkton Tribal includes; Cote First Nation; Kahkewistahaw First Nation; Keeseekoose First Nation; Ocean Man First Nation; The Key First Nation; Zagime Anishinabek; Independent Nations include; Cowessess First Nation; Ochapowace First Nation; Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation, White Bear First Nation.

Note on descriptions on photographs:

As in many period photographs, the caption spellings should be regarded cautiously; many are often phonetic translations into English and have little bearing to contemporary spellings. Also, in the case of ‘Achim’ (the dog). Piapot, for example, may refer to a sobriquet; in this case ‘achim’ may derive from acimosis, in Y Dialect Cree meaning puppy or small dog. So again, potentially a nickname.

If you feel you may know the people represented in these photographs join the conversation and email Paul Seesequasis at turningthelens@mackenzie.art

About the Artist

Paul Seesequasis is a Plains Cree writer, journalist and cultural activist based in Saskatoon. He collects archival images of everyday life among First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities from the 1920s through the 1970s. By sharing these images on social media and collecting information from Indigenous communities, Paul identifies the people, places, events and stories connected to each image. These details have often been left out of gallery, museum, and archive records.

Works in the Exhibition

Photo of a young girl and boy standing on grass, between a teepee and a dirt road. The girl wears a yellow dress and looks right at the camera, while the shorter boy wears a plaid shirt and jeans and looks beyond the lens with a furrowed brow.

Photo: Young girl and boy standing on grass, between a teepee and a dirt road, Ghost River, Alberta, ca. 1962 © Library and Archives Canada. Reproduced with the permission of Library and Archives Canada.

Two happy girls stand outside a church in winter. One girl smiles at the camera, and the other girl waves.

Photo: Two girls standing outside, Southend, Saskatchewan [Rose Anne Hardotte (née Jobb) on the left and Jane McCallum (right) from the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation], March 1955. © Library and Archives Canada. Reproduced with the permission of Library and Archives Canada.

Two sisters stitch beads on moosehide moccasins. The photo has a blue hue.

Photo: Theresa Billette, age 15, and her sister, Delia, aged five, stitching beads on moosehide moccasins. [They are from the Buffalo River Dene First Nation at Dillon, Saskatchewan.], March 19, 1955. © Library and Archives Canada. Reproduced with the permission of Library and Archives Canada.

Six female students sit around a table, while one woman stands.

Photo: Aboriginal students from northern Alberta seated at a table. Edmonton, 1954. © Library and Archives Canada. Reproduced with the permission of Library and Archives Canada.

Photo of Walking Buffalo, a ninety-two yea old Stoney. Water and trees lay in the background.

Photo: Walking Buffalo (George MacLean), a ninety-two year old Stoney from Morley, Alberta, September, 1962. © Library and Archives Canada. Reproduced with the permission of Library and Archives Canada.

A younger woman and older man smile happily at each other while sitting close together.

Photo: Alma Houston and Kingwatsiak, Cape Dorset, Nunavut, between June-September, 1960. © Library and Archives Canada. Reproduced with the permission of Library and Archives Canada.

Portrait of smiling Inuit individual wearing a furry hood in the snow.

Photo: Portrait of Inuit artist [Napachie Pootoogook], Cape Dorset, Nunavut, between August 24-October 3, 1960. © Library and Archives Canada. Reproduced with the permission of Library and Archives Canada.

Installation view at the MacKenzie Art Gallery of 2023 exhibition

Installation view, Paul Seesequasis - Turning the Lens: Indigenous Archive Project, organized and circulated by the Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery, Mackenzie Art Gallery, 2023. Photos by: Don Hall, courtesy of the MacKenzie Art Gallery.

Photo of unidentified Indigenous individual within the gallery space.

Paul Seesequasis - Turning the Lens: Indigenous Archive Project, organized and circulated by the Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery, Mackenzie Art Gallery, 2023. Photos by: Don Hall, courtesy of the MacKenzie Art Gallery.

Photo of two unidentified Indigenous individuals shaking hands.

Paul Seesequasis - Turning the Lens: Indigenous Archive Project, organized and circulated by the Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery, Mackenzie Art Gallery, 2023. Photos by: Don Hall, courtesy of the MacKenzie Art Gallery.

Installation view at the MacKenzie Art Gallery of 2022 exhibition

Installation view, Paul Seesequasis - Turning the Lens: Indigenous Archive Project, organized and circulated by the Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery, Mackenzie Art Gallery, 2023. Photos by: Don Hall, courtesy of the MacKenzie Art Gallery.

Photo of unidentified Indigenous event within the gallery space.

Paul Seesequasis - Turning the Lens: Indigenous Archive Project, organized and circulated by the Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery, Mackenzie Art Gallery, 2023. Photos by: Don Hall, courtesy of the MacKenzie Art Gallery.

Installation view, Paul Seesequasis - Turning the Lens: Indigenous Archive Project, organized and circulated by the Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery, Mackenzie Art Gallery, 2023. Photos by: Don Hall, courtesy of the MacKenzie Art Gallery.