"I always knew I was Métis. I grew up with my dad making bannock, teaching us to paddle and even having my first buckskin coat made for me the second I was born."
"Archival documents revealed that my great-grandparents were recorded using the colonial term 'halfbreed'. For this work, I retrace my grandfather's birth certificate, emphasizing the discriminatory language."
"This brings together an archive, a landscape, and my family history to confront the bureaucratic labeling of Indigenous identity."
"When applying for a gallery there is always a check box where it usually says in some sort of manner 'are you Indigenous?' But if you just look at the work it tells you what I am... I'm a Halfbreed."
Nahanni McKay, a Métis artist, explores family history and Indigenous identity through her artwork, including sculptures and beadwork. Based in Treaty 7 Territory, her work reflects the impact of colonialism on nature and identity. The project 'Halfbreed' addresses the anxiety surrounding Indigenous identity, particularly the term 'pretendian.' McKay's research into her ancestry revealed the use of the term 'halfbreed' in colonial records. She combines archival documents with personal landscapes to challenge bureaucratic definitions of Indigenous identity.
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