To All The Words You Never Learned  — Connor Lafortune

Exhibition

In a work dedicated to his grandparents, family and elders, Connor reimagines a world where the true stories of colonization can be told. He seeks to unpack language, teachings and history while using both oral storytelling and traditional regalia. After six generations without fluent language speakers in his family, Connor seeks to understand the impacts of loss by speaking directly to his ancestors. “Pour tout ce que tu n’oses pas dire | To All The Words You Never Learned” dares to ask “how have our words changed us?” He explores the ways in which colonization prevented the use of traditional language and dictated the use of the English language. He shares the traditional words they never learned and the ways they were forbidden to resist.

Opening Reception: Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 5 p.m.

This series of exhibitions is presented in collaboration with the Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario.

Connor Lafortune

Connor Lafortune is from Dokis First Nation on Robinson Huron Treaty territory of 1850 in Northeastern Ontario. He is Anishinaabek, queer and Francophone and uses his understanding of the world to shape his creations as a writer, spoken word poet, and musician. Connor often combines the written word with traditional Indigenous beadwork and sewing to recreate the stories of colonization, showcase resilience, and imagine a new future. He recently released a single in collaboration with Juno Award winner G.R. Gritt titled “Qui crie au loup? ft. Connor Lafortune.” Above all else, Connor is an activist, a shkaabewis (helper) and a compassionate human being.