Catherine Desjardins

As the living world burst into colour and then was blanketed in snow, Est-Nord-Est transformed its space into a meeting place for the Wolastoqey Nation and its close analogues from other Indigenous nations and the Wabanaki Confederation. This residency, curated by Ivanie Aubin-Malo, brought together Catherine Desjardins and Janna Nicholas, along with visits from Martin Savoie, Kateri Nisnipawset Aubin Dubois, Léa Garneau, Terry David Young, Ariane Desjardins, Mélanie Brière, Marie-Eve Chabot Lortie, Marcus Merasty, Natasha Kanapé Fontaine, Angela Beek, Samaqani Cocahq. Although traditional creation and techniques were certainly a main feature of the residency, I learned during my visit that relationships were at its heart.

When I met with Catherine – or Kahtolin – I was impressed by her ties to the land. She was in the habit of spending long hours out in the forest, and she spoke to me about the texture of the snow and the beauty of the winter that was just starting. She also recounted her observations of snow geese, the river, and the plants when she arrived in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli. Explaining that her creative process is never solitary, she told me about a way of being part of the circle of life and never at its centre. Notably, as she learned to work with porcupine quills during her stay, she produced a work on birch bark in which we can see mountains, the river, and the geese through her gaze. For her, the making of this kind of piece is part of a process of reciprocity during which she develops a relationship with her living materials. It was similar for the smudge bowl she created following lessons with the ceramicist Marie-Ève Soulard. She made a series of works by listening to and imagining with her materials: river clay, moose fat, and shoreline shells.

An essential aspect of her work involves the Wolastoqey language. Dedicated to learning, sharing, and teaching it, she left words written on bits of paper all over the centre, near the objects they defined. It’s a way of learning or remembering. In the same vein, during the residency she continued to make illustrations for a children’s book and produced a wooden Wolastoqey Scrabble game. These two projects bring to mind the fundamental nature of games and playfulness. Once again, her work was done in a spirit of community and sharing. During our conversations she made sure to mention the people who had taught her: Toni Brooks and Joleen Paul, as well as Roseanne Tremblay Clark, Henrietta Black, Ron Tremblay, and Allan Tremblay, along with everyone passing through during the residency. By highlighting these individuals’ contributions, she testified once again to the reciprocity that is central to her approach.