Art Night Out: Fur Trade Nation and Ojibwe Adornment reception & artist talk, March 26, 5:30–8:00pm
Truths of Culture and History
Our “We Hold These Truths” themed year starts with an exploration of Truths of Culture and History. Two exhibitions are in conversation: Fur Trade Nation: An Ojibwe’s Graphic History by artist and historian Carl Gawboy provides education of the history and impact of the Fur Trade Nation, and Ojibwe Adornment in Ribbons, Cloth, Beads, and Fur by designer and curator Wendy Savage demonstrates how past creative tradition informs and enriches our present. A collection of songs created by musician Tufawon, inspired by the same topics, enriches the visual gallery experience with this newly created EP. Together, they present watercolor paintings, multimedia textiles, music, and designed works by Savage and eight additional Anishinaabe artists.
At its heart, the dual-exhibition experience reflects the history of international trade and exchange in the northern region. For generations, the Anishinaabe have been central to these interactions, acting as cultural connectors across languages, traditions, and geographies. As Gawboy reminds us, “There isn’t ONE northern culture.” These exhibitions offer a view of how this confluence of culture has continued to impact and shape our modern society and artforms.
Fur Trade Nation Watercolors
Gawboy’s watercolors highlight everyday life, personal histories, and the overlooked stories of the fur trade nation. Gawboy states that he “realized that Minnesotans (Ojibwe and others) have a blank spot about the fur trade, some 250 years worth of history disappeared.” Having dedicated much of his life to teaching and researching, Carl Gawboy taught in the Indian/Native American Studies program at UMD and St. Scholastica. His teaching repertoire included a survey of American Indian Arts, based on his background in art.
Later on, he developed and taught a course on the history of the fur trade, from the perspective of Indigenous history and culture.
Gawboy reflects that, as he grows older, “the upcoming generation is removed from these events. So the stories become just as important as the subject.” Having parents who were born in 1905, Gawboy absorbed their stories and set out to educate the public along with his lifetime research in his paintings.
A Note About Language:
The term Anishinaabe is the name that people traditionally use to refer to themselves. It translates roughly to “original people” or “first people.” Anishinaabe is a term used to emphasize self-identification, culture, and language identity. It encompasses a broader cultural and linguistic group that includes Ojibwe, Odawa, and Algonquin peoples, among others.
Ojibwe is the more commonly used English-language term for one branch of the Anishinaabe people.
Usage tip: When writing or speaking, it is respectful to use “Anishinaabe” when referring to the people in a cultural or self-identified context, and “Ojibwe” when referring specifically to the language, certain communities, or historical contexts that use that term.