Otipemisewak - 2022 collection
Many years ago, the Cree gifted the Métis with the name Otipemisewak, or “the people who own themselves.”
This honour was bestowed upon the Métis to acknowledge that their identity is not partly European and partly Indigenous; they are wholly their own. This independence, resilience, and spirit was beautifully captured by Prince George-based artist Erin Stagg, who created a series of acrylic paintings illustrating stories of the Métis people through the lens of her own family history.
Two Rivers Gallery is thrilled to share these stories with the community in a Galleria exhibition from March 17 to May 7.
About showing her work at Two Rivers Gallery, Stagg says, “Growing up in this area, I was never exposed to Métis stories. I didn’t know what it meant to be Métis. There was a stigma to being Métis that stopped our stories from being passed down. This
collection brings the stories of my family history to light and celebrates them in a loving way. My hope is that other Métis people might find a sense of kinship and love for their own family stories.”
