The age of Native art being stereotypically viewed as artifact, just simply craft or having no category in the art historian’s mind is finally to some extent ending. The intent of First Ladies is to open up critical and public discussion as to what Native art is and what Native art has to offer to the dominant culture. Through grouping these particular artists together, First Ladies means to heighten awareness of the issues that are faced in the Native community both past and present. Joane Cardinal Shubert’s school room installation, a sinister, all black space, addresses the educational system in Canada and how it perpetuated myths about Native people and how coupled with the church it forced western ideology onto Native children. Jane Ash Poitras’s mixed media work titled mama have another drink explores the Hudson Bay’s continued denial of having delivered booze to reservations – she incorporates an original Hudson Bay booze box that is stamped with “Fort Smith reserve, Alberta” as its destination. Margo Kane has created a tipi installation with video titled tree/house. The video displays Margo’s journey back home to earth.

All the works in First Ladies remain very committed to the understanding ot Native culture by non-natives and Natives alike. Through this understanding one hopes that cultural appreciation and acceptance will prevail and that society might rid itself of racism.

—    Dana Claxton, co-curator First Ladies