McMaster Museum of Art exhibition We Remain Certain portrays Haudenosaunee’s complex history to strike conversations about our future

The We Remain Certain exhibition had its opening reception on Jan. 11 from 5-8 p.m. at the McMaster Museum of Art, and will be available for public viewing until Mar. 22, 2024. 

This exhibition was funded in part by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics. Their other supporters include the Ontario Arts Council.

We Remain Certain depicts the lasting connection between the Haudenosaunee people and their Grand River Territory home. The Haudenosaunee, also known as “people of the longhouse,” Iroquois or Six Nations, are members of a confederacy of Aboriginal nations that reside across southern Ontario, eastern Quebec and south into New York State. This exhibition is curated by a collective of Haudenosaunee artists, and the contemporary pieces delve into Haudenosaunee land tenure, exploring the intricate history, treaty agreements and displacements along the Grand River. It ultimately aims to ignite conversations and thoughts around our collective future, utilizing Haudenosaunee "Original Instructions" as a foundation for understanding and collaboration.

This collection was curated by Protect the Tract Collective, a Haudenosaunee-led project that conducts research, policy development and encourages civil engagement through the promotion of land stewardship (caring for and continuously learning about a piece of land despite its ownership) over the Haldimand Tract, featuring artists Dakota Brant, Denny Doolittle, Betts Doxtater, Kaya Hill, Rick Hill, Arnold Jacobs, Ken Maracle, Steve Maracle, Shelley Niro, Greg Staats, Steve Smith, Kristen Summers and Jeff Thomas.

The exhibit aims to communicate that, while the past remains certain, the future can be changed based on what we learn from our history.

“Arenhátyen tsi ní:tsi teyottenyonhátye’ kwató:ken tsi nī:tsi yonkwa’nikonhrayén:ta’s. Awęhęgyeh shęh hodęˀ dewahde:nihs, haˀgadagyeˀshǫˀ shęh nˀagwanigǫ̲ha:do:gę: It does not matter what continually changes, our understanding remains certain,” as stated on the M(M)A website.

Arenhátyen tsi ní:tsi teyottenyonhátye’ kwató:ken tsi nī:tsi yonkwa’nikonhrayén:ta’s. Awęhęgyeh shęh hodęˀ dewahde:nihs, haˀgadagyeˀshǫˀ shęh nˀagwanigǫ̲ha:do:gę: It does not matter what continually changes, our understanding remains certain

M(M)A website

Jordan Carrier's new podcast highlights Hamilton's Indigenous history

Jordan Carrier created the One Dish, Many Stories podcast to share the history of Indigenous peoples and places in Hamilton. The podcast was created in her last year of undergraduate Indigenous Studies at McMaster University. She developed the project under the supervision of Vanessa Watts. For this project, she recorded three episodes and later released them after graduating.

"[The podcast is about] understanding the history that the lands that Hamilton sits on existed long before we called this place Hamilton. Nations lived on these lands and they had their own terms for the lands or how they used the lands,” said Carrier.

Starting a podcast was something she always thought about but never followed through with until recently. For Carrier, it was an awakening moment to see how little people knew about Indigenous stories in Hamilton and how single-sided the history of Hamilton seemed to be within the community.

“I started thinking somehow we need to incorporate other stories. There’s more than one narrative to history and experiences — even contemporary experiences. That’s when I had the idea of the podcast,” said Carrier.

I started thinking somehow we need to incorporate other stories. There’s more than one narrative to history and experiences — even contemporary experiences. That’s when I had the idea of the podcast.

Jordan Carrier, Creator of One Dish, Many Spoons

Each episode of the One Dish, Many Stories podcast highlights different topics with the united goal of educating the larger community about Indigenous experiences.

In the first episode released, she shared her own story alongside the history behind various names of places on the land now known as Hamilton. She discussed how her experiences with racism as a child
affected how she perceived and carried herself. To her, sharing her own story was crucial in understanding why she created the podcast.

The second and third episodes delved into well-researched thoughts on relationships Indigenous peoples have with treaties and Northern Indigenous people being displaced from their homes and
being sent to the Sanitorium in Hamilton.

"[In] the very first episode . . . I talk about the racism I experienced as a young Indigenous person and how I internalized that. It wasn’t until I moved to Hamilton and got connected to the Indigenous community in Hamilton that I really started to embrace my identity as First Nations person,” said Carrier.

In each recent episode, she has a guest come to contribute to the conversation. All the guests either reside in Hamilton or work within Hamilton. It was important for Carrier to include the perspectives of other Indigenous peoples within Hamilton when talking about the history and the repercussions of past events.

“It was really important to have local context and perspective to really highlight that Indigenous peoples are still here. We’re still thriving. We’re still reclaiming all that’s been taken from us or our loss through the colonial project,” said Carrier.

It was really important to have local context and perspective to really highlight that Indigenous peoples are still here. We’re still thriving. We’re still reclaiming all that’s been taken from us or our loss through the colonial project.

Jordan Carrier, Creator of One Dish, Many Spoons

Carrier emphasized there is always more that can be done and the importance of self-reflection on one’s privilege and presence within an area. She encouraged reflection and continuous learning about the stories of Hamilton beyond traditional teaching.

“Continue questioning, “Okay, why do I only know this one perspective out of our existence as people in Hamilton? What is missing?” There are so many different communities that make Hamilton what it is,” said Carrier.

One Dish, Many Stories touches on the experiences of Indigenous peoples in what is now Hamilton and the history behind it. Carrier currently has three episodes out and hopes to release more soon. She hopes listeners will learn from the podcast and continue to educate themselves.