Exhibition

Nisto

Wed, Sep 1, 2027 to Thu, Sep 23, 2027 @ Gallery on 3rd

Community: Watrous and Area Arts Council


AbyaYalaweb.jpg
Cristian Barreno, Abya Yala (Eagle, Quetzal & Condor), Acrylic on Canvas, 20" x 24", 2025

Curated by Melanie Monique Rose

Nisto is the Cree word for "three", which holds abundant cultural, religious, and spiritual significance throughout Treaty Territories 4 and 6, Abya Yala 1, and across the world. The braid, made of three strands, carries teachings of the unity of mind, body, and spirit, and connects us to our ancestors and heritage.

Artists Cristian Barreno (Maya K’iche’), Maria Rose Sikyea (Yellowknives Dene), and Emma Noyes (Sinixt) are three Indigenous artists rooted both in their homelands and in diaspora, with deep connections to water, sky, and land. Their families lived here long before the names "Canada", the medicine line, borders, or walls existed. Indigenous peoples had lifeways, paths, and relationships sustained through trade, celebration, and war. For example, before Canada declared the Sinixt 2 "extinct" in 1956 and before the creation of the Canada - US border, they freely harvested and hunted on their ancestral homelands. In 2021, their territorial rights were restored, yet they still face obstacles crossing the border to return to their homelands.

Despite the enduring challenges of colonialism, these three artists affirm their presence and relationality through their work. They honor, celebrate, and assert that they are here, always have been, and always will be.

1Abya Yala: the entire land mass currently known as North & South America
2Sinixt: descendants of the Arrow Lakes people, West Kootenays

Other Exhibitions: