The Bruce County Museum will hold a special event with Indigenous artists and a documentary screening in honour of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Day, held annually on May 5.
On May 9, artists Destiny Roote and Melissa Comyn will be at the museum for a discussion on the opening of the art installation Buffalo Woman, followed by a screening of the CBC’s The Fifth Estate documentary, A Sister’s Promise.
Cathy McGirr, Bruce County Museum Director, says the museum wants to continue raising awareness around the topic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
"Indigenous women and girls face disproportionately higher rates of violence, murder and disappearance across Canada and the United States and it is a crisis that needs attention and needs everyone's awareness," McGirr stressed.
Other art installations will be on display from May 1 until the end of the month at the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre.
With respect to the Buffalo Woman installation by Comyn and Roote, McGirr says it took inspiration from the search at landfills in Winnipeg.
"Several women were found, but one woman in particular remained nameless, and they called her Buffalo Woman. Since that time, Buffalo Woman has been named. She has been identified as Ashlee Shingoose. So the inspiration for the art installation by Destiny and Melissa came from that particular story," said McGirr. "So it will be great to have them at the event to talk about their inspiration for the art installation and the importance, again, of the art installation being a tribute, but also a call to action. So urging the visitors to do a bit more research on their own, to be change-makers and to be allies, as well."
Additional art pieces on display accompanying the installation include:
-Woven sash (Jenna McGuire)
-Tall Dancer Boot (Jenna Parsons, Kuujjuaq)
-Red Buffalo Earrings (Alisha Finch, Whitefish River First Nation, Bear Clan)
-Medicine Bag (Brent Henry)
At the May 9 event, coffee, tea and treats will be provided. This event is free to attend. For full details and registration, visit brucemuseum.ca.
