Kwaata-nihtaawakihk – A Hard Birth

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"Kwaata-nihtaawakihk – A Hard Birth," 2022

Join us for the opening of Kwaata-nihtaawakihk – A Hard Birth March 18, 2022 at 7pm

Winnipeg Art Gallery | Biindigen Biiwahsaeyaah

FREE Opening Celebration featuring an Awakening of the Artwork Fiddle Performances by Melissa St. Goodard, Morgan Grace, Jason Lepine & Garry Lepine, Food by Feast, Cash Bar

Visit the exhibition and hear from the guest curators, Sherry Farrell Racette & Cathy Mattes.

Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Province of Manitoba in 2020, A Hard Birth will take you on a journey through history from a Métis perspective by pairing artwork with archival materials. Kwaata-nihtaawakihk is Michif for hard birth.

Manitoba’s entry into Canadian confederation was fraught, marked not only by organized resistance, but also by deep and careful thinking about the future and its possibilities. Kwaata-nihtaawakihk – A Hard Birth (pronounced kwa-ta knee-ta wa kick) will prompt you to reflect on the Metis nation’s role in Manitoba’s creation and consider the significance of the events of 1869-70 in relation to our current times. This exhibition will guide you to a better understanding of the Metis, Anishinaabek, Cree, and European experiences of debate and negotiation, displacement, trauma, and resilience.

Kwaata-nihtaawakihk – A Hard Birth will bring together key archival documents, historic objects, and paintings with the work of 15 contemporary artists representing Metis, First Nations, and non-Indigenous communities. You’ll see extraordinary beadwork, painting, photography, film, textiles, sculpture, and performance art. Four artists are creating commissioned works for this exhibition, including Jennine Krauchi’s new large-scale beadwork piece.

You will feel this show’s presence throughout the Gallery with dynamic, educational programming that celebrates Metis culture. Stay tuned for special events, performances, screenings, workshops, and more!

Special thanks to Michif Elder Verna Demontigny for gifting the name for the exhibition.