Mary Anne Barkhouse: Ndishnikaaz | Nugwa'am | My name is

The demise of the storied Hudson’s Bay Company provides a moment to not merely reflect upon what constitutes a deep discount sale, but also how we have collectively arrived at this moment in history. Through twists and turns of empirical economic endeavour, personal circumstance and good old fashioned fate, we find ourselves at yet another critical juncture … for some it holds optimism for restitution and growth, with the return of species and communities to familiar territories, while for others there is the uncertainty wrought by uncontrollable and wildly erratic external forces.

Told through the viewpoint of the eyes, ears and whiskers of some of the species that have called north of 49 home, the works in Ndishnikaaz | Nugwa’am | My name is are an invitation to explore these histories and consider what lies in the road ahead. 

—Mary Anne Barkhouse

A good conversation should begin with an introduction. It’s important to situate ourselves, make the general specific, and acknowledge the being with whom one is speaking. Exchanging names is a sign that each person is willing to engage with the other in a way that is personal, respectful, and reciprocal.

Ndishnikaaz | Nugwa’am | My name is holds many introductions. Artist Mary Anne Barkhouse brings works from AWE’s collection and introduces them to her own artworks. Barkhouse’s works feature creatures—some of whom, like the plains bison—are even now being reintroduced to their ancestral territories, returning home after many generations of absence. Some creatures shown here, such as coywolves—a hybrid of coyotes, wolves, and dog—thrive in our contemporary moment. Others—such as badgers—do not. Viewers enter and confront the artworks, bringing their own perspectives and experiences to these introductions. The gallery is a space of encounter.

This exhibition presents stories about this place where people, animals, and all our non-human relations meet. Some stories highlight resilience; others show vulnerability, stress, and the risks we run when we deny reciprocity and respect to everyone who shares our ecosystems. There are stories about what we keep and what we should return. Stories that offer paths towards more ethical ways of being. But Barkhouse asks that before hearing these stories, we begin by naming ourselves to their storyteller: Ndishnikaaz | Nugwa’am | My name is.

—Emily McKibbon, Head, Exhibitions and Collection

About the Artist: Mary Anne Barkhouse

Mary Anne Barkhouse was born in Vancouver, BC but has strong ties to both coasts as her mother is from the ‘Namgis band, Kwakwaka’wakw First Nation of Alert Bay, BC and her father is of German and British descent from Nova Scotia. She is a descendant of a long line of internationally recognized Northwest Coast artists that includes Ellen Neel, Mungo Martin and Charlie James. She graduated with Honours from the Ontario College of Art in Toronto and has exhibited widely across Canada and the United States.

As a result of personal and family experience with land and water stewardship, Barkhouse’s work examines ecological concerns and intersections of culture through the use of animal imagery. Inspired by issues surrounding empire and survival, Barkhouse creates installations that evoke consideration of the self as a response to history and environment.

A member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, Barkhouse’s work can be found in numerous collections such as the National Gallery of Canada, Remai Modern in Saskatoon and the Banff Centre for the Arts in Alberta. In addition she has public art installations in many cities across Canada, including ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11∞ Indigenous Art Park (Edmonton, AB), the Canadian Museum of History (Gatineau, QC), and Carleton University (Ottawa, ON).

Barkhouse currently resides in the Haliburton Highlands of Ontario.