University of Winnipeg and downtown community newspaper
University of Winnipeg and downtown community newspaper
Jordan Stranger’s artist statement: I am not an Indian
The Indian Act is the sole statute created to govern and manage Canada’s Indigenous population’s status as Indians, lands, and provincial and federal funding. This document’s creation has prompted over 140 years of confusion and loss of culture for almost every Indigenous individual in Canada. The outcomes of this document have exposed Indigenous people to widespread abuse, trauma, and loss of life. I myself have been victim of these outcomes and I have seen first hand the damage that it has created, and the system of abuse that has been carried from generation to generation.
With this exhibit, I want to demonstrate the reality of the Indian Act’s negative outcomes, through my own experiences and interpretation. I am a descendent of residential school survivors and I am committed to spreading awareness of how the Canadian government worked with Christian Churches of Canada and the RCMP to carry out outrageous acts against the Indigenous population to eradicate their identity and existence.
I am not an Indian is my means of honouring and acknowledging all who still suffer due to the outcomes of the Indian Act. The Indian Act is an outdated, racist document that has been amended many times, often without proper consultation with Indigenous leaders. Moving forward, we need to come together as one nation to tackle this very large and unjust legislation so that the Indigenous population can attain cultural and economic independence in their own lands.