What are the responsibilities of artists as guests in communities that are not their own? What can guest artists do to prepare for and to be respectful of this role? For our new ArtBridges Tips & Tools series, we asked DAREarts First Roots Program Associate, Cathy Elliott, to share some tips with artists who are new to working in First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities.

Cathy, a member of Sipekne’katik, Nova Scotia, has been working with DAREarts in Indigenous communities for eight years. She and DAREarts have lots of helpful info to share. Check out the DAREarts Practical Guide for Artists Visiting Remote FNMI* Communities for advice about travel, infrastructure, supplies, cultural context, and long term resonance. Thank you to Cathy and DAREarts for sharing your insights with us!

“When you go into an Aboriginal Community, you’re collaborating with that community to celebrate, to nurture its own Culture and language, to help heal. When you step off a plane or train or car onto a reserve, you are essentially stepping into another Nation. You are the outsider here. You have to behave in an open, respectful way just as you would if you were visiting any new country. There are customs, histories, languages and belief systems to respect and consider. 

We all have a responsibility to educate ourselves in the histories of Indigenous Peoples. Not all First Nations are alike. Read the Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) Report. It’s online. You really should know what has caused the inter-generational trauma that still affects many children and Elders you’ll meet….”

Click here for the full DAREarts Practical Guide for Artists Visiting Remote FNMI* Communities. For more resources like this, please visit the ArtBridges Resource Portal or reach Skye Louis, ArtBridges Info Resource Developer at skye@artbridges.ca. To learn more about DAREarts, please visit www.darearts.com

Read DAREarts’ profile on ArtBridges’ Community-Engaged Arts Directory and Map
Content and photo courtesy of DAREarts