Inspired by the lives of eight notable Metis/Bois Brule women of various ages, circumstances, and generations, Wildflowers endeavours to share a compassionate world, where families lived in accordance with the seasons and marked their life passages through arrivals and departures, and in communal celebrations and private sorrows.
The contributions and influence of Metis/Bois-Brule women were essential to the early settlements of Fort Edmonton, as a place they had passed through, and called home. Presented as an illustrated narrative of Metis community, beliefs, and traditions, Wildflowers reveals a deeper, feminine perspective of the realities and intricate relationships of the 1800’s era.
Containing multiple layers of cultural importance and transmission, the fine craft created for the Wildflowers exhibition is both of original design and historical replica. Based on the era known as the “Renaissance of Metis Women’s Beadwork,” the beautiful items produced by Metis craft makers from 1870-1885 have yet to be surpassed in technical and artistic skill. The recreation of period items from this era gives us a glimpse of the intricate artistry, and the use of colour and design.
Wildflowers explores the redemptive quality of heirloom craft, spiritual practices, and the connection to the land, incorporating the winding paths of lived experience and the accumulation of wisdom. The stories of these eight Metis/Bois Brule women are noteworthy and compelling. Their lives were filled with love, dedication and adversity. They were wise, noble and determined. Like the Wildflowers, they belonged to themselves―Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak.
We would like to offer our gratitude to Brittany Cherweniuk – the exhibition’s curator, for her exceptional knowledge of regional Metis history and material cultural practices; Elder Cam Kootenay for his contributions of Cree language and terminology; and to the Edmonton Heritage Council, for their financial assistance. We gratefully recognize the scholarly efforts of Tom Long, the former Interpretations Coordinator at Fort Edmonton Park for his outstanding web series: Edmontonians in the Spotlight; and to Lawrence J. Barkwell (1943-2019), Senior Historian at the Louis Riel Institute, Manitoba, for his numerous publications