Paul Seesequasis | Turning the Lens: Indigenous Archive Project

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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.

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.