The Art of Sovereignty – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Art of Sovereignty

TVO

Arts

Society & Culture

Frequency: 1 episode/8d. Total Eps: 9

Our stories define who we are.

When Indigenous cultures were outlawed across Canada, our voices were silenced.

When our stories went underground to survive, others tried to define us.

But it was our artists who brought our stories back for the world to see and hear.

Join hosts Chris Beaver and Shelby Lisk as they explore the lives of eight First Nations artists whose art reclaims our voices and identities in a country that tried to silence them.

Ontario Hubs are made possible by the Barry and Laurie Green Family Charitable Trust & Goldie Feldman.

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Apple Podcasts

🇨🇦 Canada - visualArts
25/08/2026
#66
🇨🇦 Canada - visualArts
24/08/2026
#41
🇨🇦 Canada - visualArts
08/08/2026
#82
🇨🇦 Canada - visualArts
07/08/2026
#62
🇨🇦 Canada - visualArts
26/07/2026
#87
🇨🇦 Canada - visualArts
25/07/2026
#54
🇨🇦 Canada - visualArts
24/07/2026
#35
🇨🇦 Canada - visualArts
08/07/2026
#83
🇨🇦 Canada - visualArts
07/07/2026
#82
🇨🇦 Canada - visualArts
06/07/2026
#66

Spotify

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https://www.tvo.org/article/the-art-of-sovereignty
16 shares
http://tvo.org/give
16 shares
https://omnystudio.com/listener
9 shares

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzBSDUJKfN4
2 shares
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ExmLKxmT3k
2 shares
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNdigmKB7So
2 shares

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Score global : 64%

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Bonnie Devine

Wednesday, July 13, 2022 • Duration 27:37

Growing up, Bonnie Devine's grandfather warned her to stay away from the bright yellow piles of powder in her community of Serpent River Anishinabek Nation.
Little did she know that those yellow triangles would turn up years later in her art practice as she explored natural resource extraction and Indigenous ways of knowing.
That curiosity, and a love for being Anishinaabe, led Devine to become the first tenured Indigenous professor at the Ontario College of Art and Design and the founding chair of the school's Indigenous Visual Cultural Program.
Host Shelby Lisk speaks with Devine about her life, her work, and paving a path forward for future Indigenous artists.

To view the art referenced in this episode: https://www.tvo.org/article/the-art-of-sovereignty

Donate to TVO: http://tvo.org/give

Credits:

Duck and Cover - Archer Productions/youtube.com 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Robert Davidson

Wednesday, July 6, 2022 • Duration 30:21

Growing up, Robert Davidson's Haida culture was so oppressed, he had no idea he was Indigenous.

Colonization was devastating his people. It had touched everything from their way of life and their environment to the arts.

Host Chris Beaver speaks with Davidson about how in the final hour of his fading heritage, he ushered in a revival of Haida arts and culture.

This episode mentions residential schools. The Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is available 24-hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of their Residential school experience. 1-800-721-0066. Please take care while listening.

To view the art referenced in this episode: https://www.tvo.org/article/the-art-of-sovereignty

Donate to TVO: http://tvo.org/give

Ontario Hubs are made possible by the Barry and Laurie Green Family Charitable Trust & Goldie Feldman.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Faye HeavyShield

Wednesday, June 29, 2022 • Duration 27:30

What makes something Indigenous art? For Kainai artist Faye HeavyShield, Indigenous art is not just one thing. It is personal, and for HeavyShield, tied deeply to her story as a woman from the Blood reserve in Southern Alberta. Throughout her career, she has pushed her art into new realms, expressing the nuanced truths of her life. Host Shelby Lisk speaks with Faye HeavyShield about her life, her work, and individuality in art.

This episode mentions residential schools. The Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is available 24-hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of their Residential school experience. 1-800-721-0066. Please take care while listening.

To view the art referenced in this episode: https://www.tvo.org/article/the-art-of-sovereignty

Donate to TVO: http://tvo.org/give

Listen to the full 2017 interview with Faye HeavyShield: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzBSDUJKfN4

Faye HeavyShield speaks about her art practice for the Lieutenant General of Alberta Arts Award: https://artsawards.ca/artist/faye-heavyshield/

Faye HeavyShield awarded the 2021 Gershon Iskowitz Prize at the Art Gallery of Ontario: https://ago.ca/press-release/faye-heavyshield-awarded-2021-gershon-iskowitz-prize

Ontario Hubs are made possible by the Barry and Laurie Green Family Charitable Trust & Goldie Feldman.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carl Beam

Wednesday, June 22, 2022 • Duration 31:49

As an Indigenous artist, Carl Beam was often told that his art didn't look "Indigenous enough." Throughout his career, Beam pushed back against this, rebelling against cultural categorization.

As he fought the stereotypes, he opened the door for other contemporary Indigenous artists. Host Chris Beaver speaks with Carl Beam's daughter, Anong Migwans Beam, who shares stories of her late father and how he forced a new way of thinking about Indigenous art.

This episode mentions residential schools. The Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is available 24-hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of their Residential school experience. 1-800-721-0066. Please take care while listening.

To view the art referenced in this episode: https://www.tvo.org/article/the-art-of-sovereignty

Canadian Encyclopedia entry on Carl Beam: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/carl-beam

“Aakideh: The Art & Legacy of Carl Beam” documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ExmLKxmT3k

Anong Beam speaks about how she was influenced by her parents to become an artist: https://ago.ca/events/art-spotlight-anong-beam

Ontario Hubs are made possible by the Barry and Laurie Green Family Charitable Trust & Goldie Feldman.

Donate to TVO: http://tvo.org/give

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Robert Houle

Wednesday, June 15, 2022 • Duration 31:20

For Saulteaux artist Robert Houle, art has always been political.

From the Indian Act to the Oka Crisis and more, Houle has spent his career using his art to address the injustices facing Indigenous communities. Host Shelby Lisk explores how Houle’s artwork emphasizes the importance of Land as a spiritual and political legacy for Indigenous peoples. She speaks with Shirley Madill, executive director of the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, and author of ‘Robert Houle: Life & Work.’

This episode mentions residential schools. The Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is available 24-hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of their Residential school experience. 1-800-721-0066. Please take care while listening.

To view the art referenced in this episode: https://www.tvo.org/article/the-art-of-sovereignty

Robert Houle: Life and Work by Shirley Madill: https://www.aci-iac.ca/art-books/robert-houle/

To listen to the full 2015 interview with Robert Houle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNdigmKB7So

Credits:

Oka Crisis: How It Started - The National/CBC/youtube.com

Robert Houle, visual artist and 2015 Canada Council laureate - Derreck Roemer/The Canada Council for the Arts/youtube.com 

Ontario Hubs are made possible by the Barry and Laurie Green Family Charitable Trust & Goldie Feldman.

Donate to TVO: http://tvo.org/give

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alex Janvier

Wednesday, June 8, 2022 • Duration 32:04

"[It's time] Indians become landlords again." For artist Alex Janvier, Denesuline, from Cold Lake First Nation, sovereignty and land are inextricably tied to one another. It is a relationship that signals responsibility and reciprocity rather than dominance and subjugation.

Throughout his long and distinguished career, Janvier has explored this connection in varying ways through his art.

Host Chris Beaver digs into his storied career and speaks with him about land, sovereignty, and his hopes for the future.

He is also joined by Greg Hill, Kanyen'kehá:ka artist and the Audain Senior Curator of Indigenous Art at the National Gallery of Canada.

To view the art referenced in this episode: https://www.tvo.org/article/the-art-of-sovereignty

Ontario Hubs are made possible by the Barry and Laurie Green Family Charitable Trust & Goldie Feldman.

Donate to TVO: http://tvo.org/give

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Daphne Odjig

Wednesday, May 25, 2022 • Duration 33:39

Host Shelby Lisk speaks with Anishinaabe curator and artist Bonnie Devine about Daphne Odjig, the matriarch of contemporary Indigenous arts in Canada. Most well-known for painting family life, colonial history, and Anishinaabe legends, Odjig pushed back against what the art market demanded of her as an Indigenous artist - as she embraced her Potawatomi identity. She also fiercely supported other Indigenous artists, opening her own art gallery, and forming the Professional Native Indian Artists Inc.

This episode mentions residential schools. The Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is available 24-hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of their Residential school experience. 1-800-721-0066. Please take care while listening.

Special thanks to Betty Ann Adam, JoAnne Fishburn (Good Influence Films), and the Indigenous 150+ training program for their mentorship on writing this episode and advocating for narrative sovereignty.

To view the art referenced in this episode: https://www.tvo.org/article/the-art-of-sovereignty

Clips:
Daphne Odjig reflects on her life and her art - Midday/CBC/cbc.ca

Further reading:

“Bonnie Devine offers a tribute to Daphne Odjig,” Canadian Art Magazine:
https://canadianart.ca/features/daphne-odjig-1919-2016/

Daphne Odjig, Canadian Encyclopedia entry written by Bonnie Devine:
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/daphne-odjig

Listen to the full interview, “Daphne Odjig reflects on her life and her art”: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2682358527

Ontario Hubs are made possible by the Barry and Laurie Green Family Charitable Trust & Goldie Feldman.

Norval Morrisseau

Wednesday, May 18, 2022 • Duration 30:23

Host Chris Beaver speaks with Anishinaabe curator Wanda Nanibush and Scots-Lakota scholar Carmen Robertson about Norval Morrisseau, who invented the First Nations abstract art style known as the Woodland School.

The episode delves into the stereotypes that attached themselves to Morrisseau's work and legacy. Despite attending residential school and generations of Indigenous cultural expression being banned by the Indian Act, Morrisseau broke the taboo and painted Ojibwa legends and stories to preserve them for future generations of First Nations in Canada.

To view the art referenced in this episode: https://www.tvo.org/article/the-art-of-sovereignty

To contact the Estate of Norval Morrisseau: https://www.officialmorrisseau.com/

Norval Morrisseau: Life and Work by Carmen Robertson: https://www.aci-iac.ca/art-books/norval-morrisseau/

Listen to the full interview, “Norval Morrisseau greets the art world in 1962”: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2682359696

Carleton’s Carmen Robertson leading important project on the Indigenous art of Norval Morrisseau [article]: https://research.carleton.ca/story/carmen-robertson-norval-morrisseau-project/

Mythologizing Morrisseau by Carmen Robertson: https://uofmpress.ca/books/detail/mythologizing-norval-morrisseau

Introducing the Art of Sovereignty

Wednesday, May 11, 2022 • Duration 01:12

When Indigenous cultures were outlawed across Canada, generations of voices were silenced. Join Indigenous journalists Chris Beaver and Shelby Lisk as they uncover the history and lives of eight First Nations artists who brought those stories back for the world to see and hear. This story of resurgence is told through the lives and artwork of acclaimed artists Norval Morrisseau, Daphne Odjig, Alex Janvier, Robert Houle, Carl Beam, Faye HeavyShield, Robert Davidson, and Bonnie Devine.

Ontario Hubs are made possible by the Barry and Laurie Green Family Charitable Trust & Goldie Feldman.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The Art of Sovereignty – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Art of Sovereignty – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other16

Youtube3

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other16

Youtube3