Mawita’jig

Mawita’jig is a Mi’gmaq word meaning ‘to gather in a respectful manner.’

Mawita’jig was an initiative aimed at bringing together Indigenous communities and other communities in the MRC of Avignon through collaboration, creation and presentation of contemporary artworks. The project was carried out by the Vaste et Vague Artists Run Center in close collaboration with the Mig’maq communities of Gesgapegiag and Listuguj.

Three phases of creation were developed:

Offrandes / Offerings – residency and creation of a collaborative installation presented during the summer of 2012 with four artists from the region – Mary Jane Condo, Edwige Leblanc, Ruben Anton Komangapik and Nadia Aït-Saïd.

Territoires partagés / Shared Lands – artistic community project, creative residency and exhibition in fall 2013. Artists Jordan Bennett (Mi'gmaq), Hannah Claus (Mohawk), Nadia Myre (Algonquin) and Sonia Robertson ( Ilnue) took part in this project.

Nasgwa’tatijig – sharing fairly –  program of performances and workshops highlighting the continuity and links between ‘traditional’ and ‘contemporary’ Mi’gmaq artistic practices. Presented in the fall of 2014, it brought together Mi’gmaq artists Jordan Bennett, Irène Jeannotte, Ursula Johnson and Sandra Racine.

This last program was an opportunity to witness the creation of contemporary Indigenous artworks and to participate in traditional Mi’gmaq artistic workshops. This proximity highlighted the continuity and deep connections that exist between traditional and contemporary Indigenous artistic practices.