Elder Duke Redbird (born in 1939, Saugeen First Nation, Canada; lives in Toronto, Canada) is a pillar of First Nations literature in Canada and is an Elder, poet, activist, educator and artist. He occupies the position of Elder at the following organizations: the Myseum of Toronto; the Toronto Biennial; Summer Works; and the Toronto Arts Council’s Banff Leaders Lab. In 2020, Duke was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Toronto-based performing arts organization JAYU to recognize his artistic influence on human rights.
Exhibit
Elder Duke Redbird at Ontario Place
Wigwam Chi-Chemung (Big House Canoe) is a floating art installation and Indigenous interpretive learning centre byElder Dr. Duke Redbird. Docked at the Marina, Wigwam Chi-Chemung tells the story of Indigenous presence on Toronto’s waterfront. The forty-foot pontoon houseboat has been covered with artwork by Redbird and Philip Cote, a painter and muralist from Moose Deer […]
September 21 – December 1, 2019
Partners
Program
Decolonizing Astrophysics
An intimate conversation under the stars brings together artist, poet, and educator Elder Duke Redbird and renowned astrophysicist Dr Renée Hložek to discuss the human relationship to the cosmos from multiple perspectives. In the context of Redbird’s Indigenous interpretive learning centre and evolving art installation Wigwam Chi-Chemung at Ontario Place (Marina), and Caecilia’s Tripp’s project […]
September 22
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Partners
Program
Open Studio with Elder Duke Redbird
During this Open Studio, Elder Duke Redbird engages visitors in questions around “Our Environment,” focusing on Indigenous perspectives on stemming destruction based on age old practices together with reverence and respect for Mother Earth. Set around Wigwam Chi-Chemung—a 40-foot pontoon houseboat docked at the Ontario Place Marina—the Open Studio session is part of an evolving […]
October 5
2:00pm – 5:00pm
Partners
Program
Open Studio with Elder Duke Redbird
Please note: Due to weather conditions, this event has been cancelled. During the last Open Studio of the Wigwam Chi-Chemung fall program, Elder Duke Redbird asks “how are we in relation?” and reflects on the many conversations, collaborations, and connections formed during the project. Set around Wigwam Chi-Chemung—a 40-foot pontoon houseboat docked at the Ontario Place […]
October 12
2:00pm – 5:00pm
Partners