Visitez la page en français ici.
As part of my PhD in Indigenous Studies and anthropology of Health and Wellbeing at l’Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT), I have the privilege of documenting the development and progress of the Odeimen Project. This extraordinary project was developed by Minwashin, Tourisme Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Agence Santé Québec Abitibi-Témiscamingue, formely known as the CISSS de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
Click here to consult the newsletter which contains updates on the Odeiment project and the progress of the research.
The Odeimen project brings together eight Anicinabe artists whose works are permanently installed across health and social services facilities across the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region.
The name Odeimen refers to the first medicine man known to the Anicinabe. He healed the Anicinabek by tending to their heart. The word also refers to the strawberry in Anicinabemowin, a fruit shaped like the human heart that he gifted to the Anicinabek. The title of the project therefore carries layers of meaning. The name encapsulates what the project sets out to do: bring care, recognition and cultural presence into spaces where Anicinabe people have too often felt invisible or unwelcome.
The artworks created for Odeimen are not decorative objects placed on neutral walls. They are landmarks, that is to say visual, cultural and spiritual reference points designed to signal to Anicinabe patients that they belong, that their culture is recognized, and that the space they are entering has been shaped, in part, with them in mind. The artists involved set out to affirm Anicinabe identity, language and artistic vitality.
The map above lists the artworks produced for the Odeimen project and indicates their locations. The map was created by Catherine Renaud, a very talented graphic designer.
Head to the research project’s Facebook page for updates on the research I am conducting on the Odeimen project.
Twice a year, I publish a newsletter on the Odeimen project and the progress of the research.
Further reading
Click here to visit the Odeimen project website and read a detailed report.
Click here to consult the newsletter which contains updates on the Odeiment project and the progress of the research.
You can read blog posts about my research process on Odeimen (in French).
The research on the Odeimen project is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Fonds de recherche du Québec, the Centre interuniversitaire d’études et de recherches autochtones and the Fondation de l’UQAT.
