“How will this celebration of […] history reconcile with the history experienced by Indigenous peoples in this coming year? Will this be a turning point in our national journey towards reconciliation or will this be a celebration of the status quo?”

– Ry Moran,
Director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation

Reconciliation…

…that’s the word on everyone’s lips as we get ready to celebrate the city of Montreal’s 375th anniversary and Canada’s 150th birthday. Montreal even announced that in 2017, it would be the “city of reconciliation.”

But what, exactly, does that mean? How can we talk of reconciliation when there was really never any conciliation to start with and colonial policies are still in place? By addressing the residential schools as a past experience, aren’t we emphasizing history rather than the present – creating the illusion that things are changing? Are we using the word, reconciliation, to make ourselves feel better as a society? And above all, how do we move from words
to actions?

The second edition of Indigenous Contemporary Scene (ICS) celebrates the outspokenness, creative force and boldness of indigenous artists by presenting a live-arts program that addresses these issues. ICS also provides a space for critical reflection, designed to make art a tool for education, dialogue, and ultimately, action.

–

Émilie Monnet,
Artistic Director of Indigenous Contemporary Scene,
Onishka Productions

We want to acknowledge that we are currently on the traditional unceded and shared territories of indigenous peoples, amongst which the Kanien’kehá:ka and Anishinaabeg people who designate these territories as Tio’tia:ke and Mooniyaang respectively. We recognize the Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) people who continue to care for this land.

program