b'REDRESS PROJECTTitle: resilienceArtist: Jaime Black2016Black is not the only one who recognizesRECLAIMING TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE Recently, Black attended an Open House the projects solidarity potential. Ive seenThe REDress Project has also taken Blackat her sons school and was thrilled to see many examples of communities puttingon a personal journey of reconnectingthat the Grade 8 students had put up Red up Red Dresses across a pipeline accesswith her Indigenous roots. She has bothDresses. What does her son think of her road into their traditional territory. IveFinnish and Mtis ancestry, and her familyworks impact? Hes nine, so he thinks its seen statues of colonial leaders toppledwas somewhat fearful of identifying ascool that Im famous, laughs Black. And and a Red Dress put in its place, sheIndigenous. Nonetheless, Black had ahe respects it. He was so proud that he ran says. Those dresses are standing strongbeautiful relationship with her Anishinaabeinto the school to show me!with us. grandfather. In fact, his passing marked a turning point for her. I felt responsible forCO-CREATING MEANINGFUL CHANGEThis also speaks to colonial ideas ofcarrying the things about him that I valued.Government discourse around various artistic ownership. Sharing this workIts been amazing to reclaim that know- issues impacting Indigenous people has with communities is a direct affront toledge, she says. changed dramatically in recent years. Red colonialism, which wants us to think aboutSince then, Blacks work has taken herDress Day has become the National Day art as an individual effort that is owned andacross the country, connecting with differentof Awareness for Missing and Murdered private, says Black. Ive learned that thecommunities. Ive been working withIndigenous Women and Girls and work needs to be shared in order to grow.women in Grassy Narrows, Ontario forTwo-Spirit People, held on May 5. Orange To see that in action is absolutely amazing. years now. They feel like family, she says.Shirt Day is now the National Day for Black has come to understand just howWhen I go out to camp with them, its likeTruth and Reconciliation, held September threatening the power of IndigenousIm out there with my Grandpa. I feel him30. But can such actions bring meaningful women can be to colonial systems. We aresitting there with us. change to the ongoing issue of MMIWG? not just victims. We are targeted becauseHer grandfathers legacy lives on in hisBlack is encouraged to see more we hold such immense power, knowledge,namesake: Blacks nine-year-old son. MyIndigenous leaders and knowledge keepers and potential, she explains. IndigenousGrandpa was a hunter and fisher who wasinvited into spaces where they have long women stand in the face of the colonialout in the bush all the time, says Black.been excluded. But the real opportunity status quo, as they have been doingI wanted my son to grow up with thatlies in Indigenous people connecting since the onset of settler colonialism inland-based knowledge and connection tothrough grassroots action. The most this country. the land.beautiful things happen when we come 22Fall/Winter 2022'