Jade Konwataroni McComber and Dayna Danger discuss 2Spirit resurgence, the importance of land-based practices and more. This talk was streamed online as part of Equinox 2020.

About the artists:

“Kwe! My name is Jade Konwataroni McComber and I am Kanien’kehá:ka from the Mohawk territory of Kahnawà:ke. I generally identify as queer and use she/her pronouns. I studied in the First Peoples Studies program at Concordia University for 4 years before transferring to the University of New Brunswick where I am studying to become a registered Nurse. My studies and work have surrounded Indigenous food sovereignty and traditional means of seed saving, planting and harvesting our foods and medicines, as well as youth engagement with my work in Nunavik, Eeyou Istchee and my own community. Generally, I’m all about health and healing within Indigenous perspectives. I have not always been graceful in holding my Indigenous identity alongside my queer identity in the same space, but am learning that bringing all of myself to the table has allowed me to braid meaningful relationships with others, finding community and kin.”

Dayna Danger (they/them pronouns) is a 2Spirit, Metis – Saulteaux – Polish visual artist, community organizer and kin wrangler. Danger was raised on the North-west edge of Win-nipi, Treaty 1 territory, or so called Winnipeg. They are currently based in occupied intionni’tiohtiá:ke, or so called Montreal. Danger holds a MFA in Photography from Concordia University. Through utilizing the processes of photography, sculpture, performance and video, Danger creates works and environments that question the line between empowerment and objectification by claiming the space Ongoing works exploring BDSM and beaded leather fetish masks negotiate the complicated dynamics of sexuality, gender and power in a consensual and feminist manner. Their focus remains on Indigenous and Metis visual and erotic sovereignty. Danger has exhibited their work nationally and internationally in such venues as Art gallery of Alberta, Edmonton AB; Urban Shaman, Winnipeg, MB; Art Mur, Berlin; and the New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe and most recently at the National Gallery of Canada with Àbadakone | Continuous Fire | Feu continuel. Danger was featured on the cover of Canadian Art’s June 2018 Kinship cover. Danger has participated in residencies at the Banff Centre for the Arts and at Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art. Danger served as a board member of the Aboriginal Curatorial Collective (ACC/CCA) till 2019. Danger is an Artist in Residence through Initiatives for Indigenous Futures at AbTeC and an independent student, pursuing a indi-PhD focused on hide tanning practices from their great grandmother, Madeline, at Concordia University.