Kontiya’taseha (They are Young Beautiful Women)

The Kontiya’taseha Photography Project took a critical look at the intersection of gender, sovereignty and Indigeneity. Nine young women from Pauline Johnson Collegiate Vocational School in Brantford embarked on journey of identity from a Haudenosaunee worldview. Kontiya’taseha provided an opportunity for our young women to engage in courageous conversations about the transition into adulthood with particular attention to both body and land sovereignty. 

We followed the Calls to Justice from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Report and discussed the relationship between body and land sovereignty for young Indigenous women all the while snapping photographs for our book and art installation. We were so fortunate to learn from celebrated, award-winning artist Shelley Niro, a Mohawk photographer, artist and film-maker. Shelley guided us with her thoughtful and humorous artistic skills. These young women were guided in our ancestral knowledge by Kawennakon Bonnie Whitlow Mohawk, Bear Clan, Six Nations of the Grand River.

Bonnie, from Laurier University in Brantford, joined our journey and taught us the Water Song by the Akwesasne Women’s Singers. She helped to ground us in a Kanienkehaka worldview. One way that we strengthened our connection to community was during our trip to the Kayanase longhouse where Kerdo Deer shared his ecological and traditional teachings. Julia, one of our young photographers titled a photo "Hope," stating, "This is my love for Nature. My hope that I will always be able to see the green of creation and will do my part to make sure that this is a truth for the many generations to come.”

A project of this magnitude could not happen without community support. We are humbly thankful for the support from the Six Nations Community Development Trust, the Ontario Arts Council and Women’s and Gender Studies at Brock University.

Article submitted by: Sherri Vansickle, Indigenous Student Guidance Counsellor in Grand Erie District School Board.