North American Native Museum, Zurich/Switzerland
April 8 – September 17, 2022
Three indigenous artists address colonial treaties. Their artworks tell stories of reserves, resources, rights and land.
Waawiindamaw means promise. Colonial treaties promised much and delivered little. Above all, they legitimized the claims of colonial powers to indigenous lands. To this day, they form the basis of the relationship between Indigenous nations and the Canadian state. Historical treaties were based on different concepts of land and had devastating consequences for Indigenous peoples. For Indigenous land was no more for sale than the air we breathe. Three indigenous artists address colonial treaties and their consequences in their works. An exhibition about the loss of land and broken promises.