This article by Tamara Aschenbrenner appeared in our Info Edmonton Magazine – March/April 2022.
Indigenous arts in an Indigenous space was an important consideration for Dr. Lana Whiskeyjack, a multidisciplinary artist and scholar in the city now known as Edmonton. Before it was Whiskeyjack Art House, the space operated as Câhcacêp Art and Tea House, run by Jo-Ann Saddleback, the Elder-in-Residence at the Edmonton Public Library. While the change in ownership meant a new name, new paint, and new collaborations, the support for Indigenous artisans, knowledge, and teachings remained the same. The Art Deco-inspired venue features a gallery, boutique of Indigenous goods, events space to host various workshops and collaborations with Indigenous fusion cuisine, a partnership with Pei Pei Chei Ow catering, and more.
Q: How have you made the space your own after taking over?
A: Definitely changing the aesthetics. Auntie Jo-Ann created this very grandmotherly space, and then we came in and changed the colours to black and white, put up some birch. My son, my granddaughter, and I worked on creating this little birch accent wall with some whiskeyjacks flying into the store. So just taking the colours of the whiskeyjack, which is also the Canada jay, the national bird—a very smart bird!
Q: Elder Jo-Ann Saddleback talked with us about the importance of WAH to the Indigenous arts community. How do you see your role?
A: Just wanting to support Indigenous art! We still have a lot of big plans. It’s named after my last name in honour of the many Whiskeyjacks who were very talented and artistic people[…] Even though we’re Indigenous grounded, we definitely want to support business in communities who want to work with and experience building relations with Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing and being.
Q: You’ve described art as your ceremony. Could you elaborate?
A: Art is my ceremony in that sense where I am connecting to my ancestors, and I’m kind of rewiring my brain to problem-solve and connect to traditional teachings, like with our show [about the teachings of the] Thirteen Sacred Moons. You’ll be able to see the pieces, they’ll be coming to Whiskeyjack Art House. So people who didn’t get to go to St. Albert can still come see the We Are The Medicine paintings.
Q: Which shop items have been the most popular?
A: We’ve been selling lots of lotions and candles, and we sell many teas through Mother Earth Essentials[…] We also had Pei Pei Chei bannock mixtures, and we had different gift boxes we created that sold really well, which came with lotions, jams, the bannock mixture, candles, and of course they had different little themes. And all of them are Indigenous or local-made products.
Q: Anything new you’re seeking to stock in the future?
A: Definitely exploring more Indigenous, unique jewellery and clothing items. There’s a few conversations I’m having with one of our first artists that we exhibited, who was a former student of mine from Saddle Lake Cree Nation[…] We’ve been talking with him about getting his art to some clothing. Some decolonizing fashion, some Indigenous fashion—that seems to be so vogue now.
Q: Can you share something people might not know?
A: My Auntie Jo-Ann actually had my great-grandfather’s kerosene oil lamp, so when we took over the store, she actually gave the lamp to me—and it’s in the store[…] When my great-grandfather was alive, it was illegal to own businesses. It was illegal to practice our ceremonies. It was a criminal activity to be Indigenous in a lot of ways, where our children were still being legally kidnapped and sent into residential schools. So that oil lamp really is kind of symbolic of the incredible resilience and power we have because of our ceremonies, knowledge, and skills and the beautiful ways of knowing and being that was able to be passed down—and now being shared through Whiskeyjack Art House. Through the art, the moccasins, the beaded jewels, the food, the medicines in our products, and how that intergenerational connections through our kinship systems but also to the land, even though we’re surrounded by concrete and asphalt, there’s still a way to connect to the spirit of the land which we call our home in amiskwacîwâskahikan.
Q: What do you hope people take away from their visit?
A: The intention that we wanted was to host these kind of conversations and interactions and visiting and learning and minds being blown open with amazing, profound teaching. And hopefully the products they buy too will nourish some curiosity in them to learn more about Indigenous Peoples and the diversity within our Indigenous communities.
