Read and revel in the poetry of Janet Rogers and you will see that she offers an idea that now is the time to renegotiate the terms for “Peace”. As Indigenous artists, how do we get away from colonial descriptions of Indigenous art depicting a feral animism? Well, we claim that essence and transform our...
Allegra Fulton, left, and Diana Belshaw beneath the moon. Photo: MARTA IWANEK / TORONTO STAR While it was beautiful to hear a smattering of Ojibway terms, and some reference to the lunar calendar in the passage of months, I found myself wanting a deeper, more resonant connection between these women, and...
Gita Hashemi and Heather Hermant in Wonders of the Sea performance at Triangle Gallery, October 2014. Photo: Marc LeMyre MUSKRAT Magazine’s contributing writer, Zainab Amadahy interviews the project’s creator, Gita Hashemi Taking place on March 27, 2015, at Beit Zatoun in Toronto, Inhabiting the North i...
Epic battles among fantastical beings, traveling across realms and love in the dreamtime characterize this exciting but wise tale. Aaron Paquette’s Lightfinder is a delightful Young Adult fantasy rooted in Cree worldview and taking place all over the province of Alberta. For fantasy fans weary of the ov...
…I too call her “Nokoomiss,” a term of respect for the elder women who are kind and forgiving and ready to share what they know with children. Besides sharing what they know with the young they help mothers care for their babies. Anishinabemowin, the Ojibway Language and way of life, is a gift from the...
Photo: S. Amy Desjarlais February 14th represents a day when many in mainstream culture celebrate love, romance, and relationships. For many Aboriginal families, it is a day to remember and demand justice for missing and murdered Aboriginal women. Families, supporters and allies stood outside the Toron...
Photo: Associated Press The Oscars often represent mainstream entertainment from which many North Americans celebrate collectively. This past Sunday, however Americans and Canadians alike found it difficult to celebrate the blinding whiteness (read: decidedly Caucasian) talent in the 2015 Oscar list of...
image credit: Montreal Simon On November 12, 1971 Helen Betty Osborne was sexually assaulted and brutally murdered in the Pas, Northern Manitoba. On August 2014, we learned about the brutal murder of 15 year old Tina Fontaine in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Within the 43 year time span between the two murders, h...
8Fest. Photo: Amy Desjarlais MUSKRAT Magazine checked out the 8 fest hosted at the Polish Combatants Hall in Toronto, Jan 30, 2015. As a relative newcomer to the film and media arts scene, I found myself curious about this Small-Gauge Film Festival. I respect any artist who chooses to express his or her...
