A Prince George painter has received a grant for her work that highlights the B次元官网网址渋ntangible spiritB次元官网网址� of M茅tis people through the ages.

Erin Stagg was awarded the Nakaatchitow (the Michif word for B次元官网网址榮killB次元官网网址�) Arts and Culture Grant provided by (MNBC) late last year, and her work will be on display at the M茅tis Nation headquarters in Surrey from July to September.

Originally from Fort St. James and raised in the M茅tis culture, StaggB次元官网网址檚 unconventional path to being a professional artist took her through fields like journalism, biology, geography and environmental consultation.

B次元官网网址淚 had kept painting, all through this, all through school, all through everything,B次元官网网址� she said, B次元官网网址淚 thought, well, letB次元官网网址檚 see if I can sell a couple of things. And I loved the challenge of doing it so much that I stuck with it.B次元官网网址�

Although Stagg grew up outside of M茅tis territory, she drew great inspiration from a trip to Saskatchewan with her mother and daughter.

B次元官网网址淢any of us born out here donB次元官网网址檛 even know what Saskatchewan necessarily looks like,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚t was important to me to visualize what the prairies look and feel like.B次元官网网址�

The paintings tell the story of M茅tis heritage and demonstrate the independence, resilience and spirit of the M茅tis people. The grant supports 12 original paintings that will be passed on to other galleries later this year.

Grants like these are essential for all artists, but Stagg felt especially grateful after the pandemic slashed her income by 80 per cent.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 like a diamond,B次元官网网址� she said, B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 enormous to be able to say, B次元官网网址業 have this big dream, but itB次元官网网址檚 otherwise impossible for me to bring it to fruition, will you help me out?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

MNBC announced the contest on Aug. 3, investing $175,000 to support M茅tis artists in B.C. The grants range from $5,000 to $30,000. Stagg declined to share her total, saying only that it was on the higher end.

Other winners include Kaija Heitland, Savanna Todd, John Bell, Earlene Bitterman, Lisa Shepard, Nevada Christianson and Mia Yule. Their projects include murals, a ribbon skirt teaching circle, a M茅tis fiddle-making mentorship, a M茅tis-themed podcast and more

The grant was developed to ensure B次元官网网址淢茅tis artists have the opportunity to create unique art, and new ways to express our culture,B次元官网网址� said MNBC Minister of Culture, Heritage and Language Patrick Harriott in a media release.

Stagg couldnB次元官网网址檛 agree more with the aims of the grant, as she said funding for the arts is key to preserving M茅tis culture.

B次元官网网址淐ulture is not passed through mining trucks. It is passed through song, through art, through music,B次元官网网址� she said, B次元官网网址淭hat is how we are able to preserve, inspire and teach about our feelings, our culture and indigenous worldview.B次元官网网址�

Stagg thinks this type of funding is long overdue.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 important that people see M茅tis history as something that is Indigenous history,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭he bar is set so low, any amount of participation is better than what weB次元官网网址檝e been getting.B次元官网网址�

Stagg B次元官网网址� whose work can be found in private collections around the world B次元官网网址� lives with her husband and daughter. She is in the process of writing and illustrating a childrenB次元官网网址檚 book and is continually being inspired by her heritage.

B次元官网网址淭hese things are so incredibly intangible, so hard to picture, so difficult to capture. ThatB次元官网网址檚 what us artists do.B次元官网网址�

Other winners of the grant and their projects:

Jesse Campbell and Mia Yule

The 脗nisk么mohcikewina mural project, led by Mia Yule with support from M茅tis artist Jesse Campbell.Mia and Jesse works with M茅tis Nation of Greater Victoria and three School District 61 schools to complete three mural installations. Knowledge Carriers, Bertha Landrie, Joe Landrie, and Victoria Pruden, also present M茅tis culture to groups of students in grade 6.

Nevada Christianson

Nevada discusses how the Nakaatchihtow Arts and Culture Project grant helped her shine a light on Elders, activists, and artists by using portraiture to serve the community and Nation, in the end, becoming one of the greatest opportunities of her life.

John Bell

John shares his story on how he got into making violins and bows, as well as how the Nakaatchihtow Arts and Culture Project grant is helping him achieve his long-term goals of passing the knowledge of his craft to young M茅tis.