Prestigious awards go to Indigenous artists whose work challenges and provokes

By Crystal St.Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Greg Staats, Skaru:re Tuscarora from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory in Ontario, and Inuk artist Shuvinai Ashoona from Kinngait, Nunavut are 2024 Governor General award winners in visual and media arts. Both Staats and Ashoona credit their Indigenous cultures as the inspiration for their visual creations. Ashoona, the second artist from the West Baffin Cooperative to receive the award, credits her sister for giving her the nudge to start drawing more than two decades ago at 33 years of age. Ashoona has since created many mixed media works depicting Inuit culture from her own experiences and surroundings. Her work has garnered accolades, including the Gershon Iskowitz Prize in 2018. She was also one of two special mentions by the jury of…

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