This text is part of the special Culture Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean notebook
With its geographic location and infrastructure, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean offers an environment conducive to the cultural and artistic expression of the First Peoples. This inspiring and safe creative space also plays an important role in the transmission of knowledge and the training of a new generation of indigenous artists.
Although Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean does not have a large urban center, this has not prevented the region from establishing itself, over the years, as a true center of artistic development, particularly among First Nations. “We have like the best of everything. We have a very dynamic and very diverse cultural environment. And we are close to nature and wide open spaces. Which is beneficial for Indigenous artists who often come from more remote areas,” underlines Claudia Néron, general director of the Boîte Rouge VIF (BRV), an Indigenous non-profit organization in Chicoutimi.
Created almost 25 years ago now, the BRV’s main mission is to promote the cultural expression of indigenous peoples. In this context, the organization has developed collaborative co-creation approaches involving members of the First Nations in various artistic practices. “We go well beyond cultural security, we seek above all to ensure the self-expression of indigenous communities,” confides Claudia Néron.
Respond to the request
The BRV is also preparing to organize, for the first time since its creation, four-week multidisciplinary residencies allowing indigenous artists to familiarize themselves, at their own pace, with a professional environment for which they do not necessarily have the keys and skills. codes. There is a real gap to be filled in order to be able to offer First Nations the means to make a living from their art in complete autonomy. “In remote communities, artists do not have access to professional environments,” explains M.me Nero.
This need for professionalization is particularly acute today, when more and more non-natives are interested in indigenous arts and cultures. “This interest has continued to increase, which obviously pleases us. But artists are not necessarily equipped to respond to all requests,” notes Julie Gagnon-Bond, director of the Kamishkak’Arts organization, which supports, among others, artists from the Innu community of Mashteuiatsh in their grant requests. .
Encourage vocations
Located on the west shore of Lake Saint-Jean, Kamishkak’Arts offers First Nations artists and artisans the space and time to realize their full potential. “Before coming to them, I wasn’t aware of everything that was offered to artists and I didn’t really believe in myself,” says Amélie Courtois.
Born into a family of Innu and Attikamek artisans, the multidisciplinary artist discovered a true vocation by opening the doors of Kamishkak’Arts. “They gave me wings,” she said. The non-profit organization is also there to arouse interest among young people by organizing workshops or partnerships with the Ilnu Museum of Mashteuiatsh, a key place for transmitting the history and culture of the Pekuakamiulnuatsh, the Innu of the Lake -Saint Jean.
“Creating a succession is at the heart of our mission,” says the museum’s general director, Isabelle Genest. “We preserve and protect the heritage of our First Nation to pass it on to new generations who want to learn more about their culture. We are very happy to contribute to the reappropriation of culture among the members of our community and to send a message of hope: yes, our culture is still there and it is still alive. »
An intangible heritage to preserve
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