Exhibit at Remai Modern to open with talks about museums and Indigenous artifacts

The Remai Modern in Saskatoon will be focusing on Indigenous art and artists this Friday and Saturday for the new museum's next big exhibition.

Ontario-based artists Duane Linklater and Tanya Lukin Linklater's collaborative exhibitionDetermined by the Riverwill have its official opening Fridayevening.

The opening will be accompanied by a series of panels with some of Saskatchewan's most notable Indigenous artists. The artist couple are calling them Determined by the River: A Discursive Event.

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The panel discussions will be looking at the historical mistreatment of Indigenous artifacts by museums across Turtle Island.

Many of our objects were taken from our communities ... and placed within museums separate from our families and our communities- TanyaLukin Linklater, artist

"One of the things I often consider in my own practice is the long history between museums and Indigenous people," said TanyaLukin Linklater, who is originally from the Native Villages of Afognak and Port Lions in Alaska.

"Many of our objects were taken from our communities ... and placed within museums separate from our families and our communities," she said.

Tanya Lukin Linklater said it's significant to not only recognize Indigenous art as objects but to also bring Indigenous artists, curators, writers and filmmakers together to engage in conversations about what they consider significant.

According to Duane Linklater, it was important to recognize the treaty territory where the exhibit is, by providing a platform for artists who live in the Treaty 6 territory.

"It seemed like an obvious decision. Both myself and Tanya are not from Treaty 6," said Duane Linklater, who is originally from Moose Factory, Ont.

"We thought it was important to centre those voices in the museum, to have a discussion about the role of the museum, the development of the museum, the past relationship, the current relationship and hopefully think about the future relationship ... with the Indigenous people from that area."

Associate curatorTroy Gronsdahl saidone of the goals of the museum is to be a leading centre for contemporary Indigenous art and discourse.

The panel talks are from 7-9 p.m. CST Friday in the RemaiModern's Sasktel Theatre and Saturday's panels are being held in the museum'sRiverview room from 1-5 p.m.