Ottawa, ON – New Journeys, an online resource site for urban Indigenous people in Canada, released seven new themes for its website this past week, highlighting various Indigenous languages and traditional artistic styles.
The website, which is a National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) initiative, now features artistic layouts from seven different Indigenous artists, paired with a translation of “New Journeys” in the corresponding Indigenous language. The themes include Coast Salish, Plains Cree, Métis, Anishinaabe, Mohawk, Inuit and Mi’kmaq designs.
“We’re excited to have worked with such a diverse range of talented artists to make New Journeys more accessible to our audiences,” says Nelson Mayer, President of the National Association of Friendship Centres. “With all of these new designs on our website, we can highlight the uniqueness of different Indigenous cultures across the country.”
New Journeys is also in the process of releasing artist statements on the website from the contributing artists to explain how their designs connect to their Indigenous culture.
The artists are as follows:
- Nancy King, Anishinaabe theme
- Monique Bedard, Mohawk theme
- Alan Syliboy, Mi’kmaq theme
- Heather Campbell, Inuit theme
- Kevin Wesaquate, Plains Cree theme
- Leah Dorion, Métis theme
- Jamin Zuroski, Coast Salish theme
New Journeys is an online platform for telling and sharing stories about Indigenous experiences in Canada. New Journeys is also a one-stop mobile and online resource featuring potentially life-saving information and services to help urban Indigenous youth, young families and others learn more about their communities and end violence within them.
The National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) is a network of 118 Friendship Centres and seven Provincial and Territorial Associations (PTAs) from coast to coast to coast. Friendship Centres are Canada’s most significant off-reserve Indigenous service delivery infrastructure and are the primary providers of culturally enhanced programs and services to urban Indigenous residents.
