NYC Gazette

Starting in the early 19th century, the Canadian government implemented legislative measures that oppressed Indigenous people, including members of Haida, Coast Salish, Kwakwaka’wakw, Gitxsan, Tsimshian, and Nisga’a Nations. Among these measures was the establishment of the Residential School system. These institutions were filled with Indigenous children taken from their homes and subjected to various forms of abuse. By the time the last school closed in 1996, about 150,000 children had been residents.

The Canadian government also banned potlatches in 1885—ceremonies held by Indigenous tribes comprising feasts and dancing—as a means to discourage Indigenous culture. In recent years, Indigenous tribes have opposed oil pipeline developments on tribal land. The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion was approved in 2024 despite heavy protests.

Art has played a significant role as protest and cultural resistance among Indigenous communities. In "Aesthetics of Repair: Indigenous Art and the Form of Reconciliation," Gallatin associate professor Eugenia Kisin explores how art has been used by Indigenous people in British Columbia to address social issues and reclaim cultural works.

In 2013, Kwakwaka’wakw chief Beau Dick revived a traditional practice at British Columbia’s Legislative Assembly by cutting a copper ceremonial object—a symbolic shaming ritual against governmental exploitation. "Bewildered media coverage fixated on what the breaking of copper means," Kisin writes.

NYU News interviewed Kisin regarding her work tracing art's evolution as protest over time.

Eugenia Kisin first moved to Vancouver for university studies and noted its visible Indigenous presence. She observed that public celebration of Northwest Coast-style art did not align with anxieties about honoring treaty obligations.

Kisin's research highlights how reconciliation efforts between settler and Indigenous communities have not been entirely successful. Only eleven out of ninety-four Calls to Action from Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission have been fully implemented nationwide since 2015.

However, everyday reconciliation processes occur in museums and public spaces without state involvement. At Freda Diesing School, an art institution run by Indigenous people in northern British Columbia, students reconnect with their communities through art practice.

Government funding for arts poses challenges for Indigenous artists due to bureaucratic issues and identity-specific categories like "Aboriginal art." Some artists avoid these competitions due to concerns about tokenization.

Present-day digital worlds enable new connections across distances; movements like Idle No More illustrate this change. Content focus has shifted towards sovereignty discussions rather than mere recognition of rights.

Parallels exist between pressing issues faced by Canadian and US-based Indigenous artists: access to galleries or studio spaces remains limited while mentorship opportunities are needed within artistic networks. Repatriation concerns persist around museum-held cultural belongings which can be difficult for artists seeking learning opportunities or caring responsibilities toward older pieces housed there—issues also reflected within American contexts grappling with federal Boarding Schools' legacies today too."