McMichael Canadian Art Collection Commemorates Naming of New Indigenous Garden Through Virtual Premiere on National Indigenous Peoples Day

June 21, KLEINBURG, ON – On Monday, June 21, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection will premiere a video commemorating the official naming of the Minokamik Garden, known previously as the Indigenous Garden. The Garden was planted by local community members and students from the York Region District School Board. The name Minokamik, generously offered by Elder Shelley Charles, Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation, refers to the good earth, the first scent of the new soils of the spring renewal. It represents the coming together of people from all nations in the restoration of Indigenous plants and creating new interconnected relationships in our mutual stewardship of the earth and our extended family relations. The Minokamik Garden represents the McMichael Canadian Art Collection’s commitment to restoring the land on which the Gallery sits, along the traditional Carrying Place Trail adjacent to the Humber River Valley, to its native flora, promoting biodiversity and providing a space for environmental education. The design of the garden is based on the traditional Anishinaabe teachings of the Four Directions and includes plantings of sage, pearly everlasting, wild strawberry, sweetgrass, tobacco, and red bee balm among other species.

 
WHEN
The video celebrating the official naming of the Minokamik Garden will debut virtually on Monday, June 21, 2021 to coincide with National Indigenous Peoples Day.
 
WHERE
The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is located at 10365 Islington Avenue, north of Major Mackenzie Drive in Vaughan. The Minokamik Garden is located in the McMichael Sculpture Garden. The McMichael’s official video, celebrating the naming of the Garden, will debut on social media platforms, in the ArtFlash eNewsletter, and on mcmichael.com. 
 
WHY
To celebrate the naming of the Minokamik Garden at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection and to acknowledge the natural, historic and cultural heritage of the Humber River Valley. The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is located on the original lands of the Ojibwe Anishinaabe People. It is uniquely situated along the Carrying Place Trail which historically provided an integral connection for Indigenous people between Ontario’s Lakeshore and the Lake Simcoe-Georgian Bay Region. As an institution, the McMichael recognizes the importance of acknowledging the original territories of the Ojibwe Anishinaabe First Nations people and other Indigenous nations.
 
HOW
Members of the media are invited to watch the video through the McMichael’s online platforms. Please direct inquiries to Sam Cheung, Media Relations and Communications Coordinator, at scheung@mcmichael.com or 905.893.1121 ext. 2210. 
Ces informations sont aussi disponible en français.  

 

About the McMichael Canadian Art Collection

The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is an agency of the Government of Ontario and acknowledges the support of the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, and the McMichael Canadian Art Foundation. It is the only major museum in the country devoted exclusively to Canadian art. In addition to touring exhibitions, the McMichael houses a permanent collection that consists of more than 6,500 works by historic and present-day Canadian artists, including Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven and their contemporaries, Indigenous artists and artists from the many diasporic communities. The Gallery is located on 100 acres of northern landscape and hiking trails at 10365 Islington Avenue, Kleinburg, north of Major Mackenzie Drive in the City of Vaughan. For more information, please visit mcmichael.com.

Ces informations sont aussi disponible en français.  

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Media Contacts

Sam Cheung
Media Relations and Communications Coordinator
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
905.893.1121 ext. 2210
scheung@mcmichael.com

Shalini Saini 
Acting Director, Marketing & Communications 
McMichael Canadian Art Collection 
905.893.1121 x2294 
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