A solo exhibition by Adele ᒪᐢᑿᓱᐤᐏᐢᑵᐤ Arseneau Honouring Those Lost to Canada’s
161 Residential Schools

June 19 2023 – July 14 2023
Pendulum Gallery (885 Georgia St, Vancouver)
Opening Reception: Friday June 23 6:00PM-8:30PM

Two years ago, the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation announced the discovery of 215 unmarked burial sites on the grounds of the former Kamloops Residential School. In the months that followed, revelations of thousands of similar sites revealed a sliver of the devastation settler colonialism has wrought on Indigenous communities in so-called Canada. Ceremonies of grief and remembrance followed for Indigenous people for whom the extent of Residential School violence has never been a question.

For the past two years, Nehiyaw & Métis artist Adele ᒪᐢᑿᓱᐤᐏᐢᑵᐤ Arseneau has performed their own ceremony to honor the children the Catholic Church and the Canadian government kidnapped. Assembling by hand 161 cradleboards, each pain-stakingly painted, beaded, and sewn of traditional materials, Adele ᒪᐢᑿᓱᐤᐏᐢᑵᐤ Arseneau performed what nêhiyaw ayahkwew and michif/ukrainian artist bailey macabre calls “an act of love,” creating “ᐁᐧᐢᑫᐧᐱᑖᑲᐣ [wîskwêpitâkan] – Sacred Bundle.”

Engaging the tremendous violence of settler colonialism and the world-altering love of Indigenous communities, Adele ᒪᐢᑿᓱᐤᐏᐢᑵᐤ Arseneau has created an exhibit that places grief and celebration in devastating symmetry. These “Sacred Bundles”– one for every school named in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report – nestled in the soft fur of animal hides – return sacred Indigenous children to the land from which they were stolen. The stolen are represented in their beauty, vibrancy, and connection so that we may witness what violence destroys and the life embodied in every mossbag.

ᐁᐧᐢᑫᐧᐱᑖᑲᐣ [wîskwêpitâkan] – Sacred Bundle Opening Reception

Join us in ceremony and celebration for the opening ᐁᐧᐢᑫᐧᐱᑖᑲᐣ [wîskwêpitâkan] – Sacred Bundle on Friday June 23, 2023 6PM-8PM at Pendulum Gallery (885 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC) 

We will be joined by featured Nehiyaw & Métis artist Adele ᒪᐢᑿᓱᐤᐏᐢᑵᐤ Arseneau, as well as community members engaged in the process of the art making for the exhibition.

Access and Event Information:
Masks will be required for the well-being and safety of the artists, collaborators, and attendees.
ASL interpretation will be provided for the opening
Pendulum Gallery is wheelchair accessible
Light refreshments will be served 
Attendance is free and no registration is needed

The exhibit runs June 19 to July 14 2023 at the Pendulum Gallery (885 W. Georgia St. Vancouver, BC) 

For additional access information or any questions regarding the opening, please contact Kickstart at [email protected] 

For More Info about Adele ᒪᐢᑿᓱᐤᐏᐢᑵᐤ Arseneau: aarseneau.com
For More Info about Pendulum Gallery: www.pendulumgallery.bc.ca