Vision Quest Project
Our goal is to connect people, both outside and within the Indigenous community, with our true cultures; to dispel myths and misunderstandings perpetuated by stereotypes, and to create an equally welcoming space for those who have always been here, to those who have just arrived, and everyone in-between.
What We Do
The Vision Quest Project is a not-for profit dedicated to sharing the truth about Indigenous cultures in an inviting way, encouraging members of the community to explore their cultural identity and their relationship to their heritage, while also welcoming outsiders to learn about our cultures from the people who live it.To achieve this, we offer a variety of workshops teaching traditional skills, often incorporating open conversation about the different approaches different cultures take to the same task into the lesson, and encouraging participants to share their own stories and teachings to spread the knowledge that there is no "Pan-Native-American culture" in a natural way. We have also begun to curate art shows that highlight Indigenous artists with unique styles, perspectives, and stories.
The Vision Quest Project began as a program to help Indigenous boys and their fathers to develop a sense of cultural identity, allowing them to connect to their role in the greater community, and develop resilience against the sense of displacement their predecessors experienced as a result of colonization.Since then, we have expanded our offerings to include: hide tanning, bead work techniques from multiple Indigenous cultures, drum making, identifying medicinal plants, making moccasins in the traditional techniques of multiple cultures, and many other traditional skills, keeping them alive for future generations.
We offer two-week long workshops and demonstrations on constructing traditional birch bark canoes. These workshops not only teach the technical process of construction, but how steps using modern tools were original done, and the teachings associated with each step; from how to gather the bark and roots used without harming the trees they're harvested from, to adjusting the blend of pitch used to seal the canoe depending on the season it is built in. Just as in the past, canoe builds are an involved process and present many opportunities to safely include others in the process, regardless of age or experience, building a sense of community for everyone involved.We have delivered canoe workshops in partnership with several organizations including school boards in Simcoe county and the Greater Toronto Area; Kick Start Arts, which was documented in the accompanying video; local businesses, attractions, the most recent of which is an up coming partnership with Black Creak Pioneer Village.
Vision Quest Project has produced several art shows focused on highlighting the talents of Indigenous artists, with an emphasis on showcasing works outside of the more stereotypical styles. Our art shows to date include:Twisted Spirit (2021, 2022): First staged in summer 2021 at La Maison Amérindienne in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, with a second staging held in the Leslie Grove Gallery in Toronto, Twisted Spirit is a solo artist show featuring the art of Josy Thomas. Using a combination of traditional and contemporary techniques, Josy shares a story familiar to far too many Indigenous men of feeling displaced and struggling to find a sense of identity and purpose in a world where colonization had stripped him of his traditional role in the community, and leaving him trapped between two vastly different worlds.One of the key pieces of this show is Twisted Truths, which communicates the artist's struggle to contort the image he presents to navigate the mainstream world, is now part of the permanent collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Our Story: Past and Present (2023): Just as the Museum of Dufferin focuses on history and the ways past events connect to out present lives, the show it hosted in March 2023 sought to highlight that same connection from an Indigenous perspective. From sculptures relating the struggle to balance the vastly different expectations of traditional and mainstream cultures, to paintings using black light to reveal hidden images of things we take for granted but cannot live without, to honoring those who did not survive the changes of recent centuries, to re-working historical negatives into something new and positive.
Elders: Our Connection to our Ancestors (2023): Featuring a total of 25 pieces by 5 different artists, our November 2023 show hosted by Alton Mills was our biggest show to date. Each artist contributed a unique perspective to show how their heritage has shaped their work, including Brian Serazin's tale of a journey through the spirit world, NISH's bold combination of modern graffiti style with traditional imagery, Josy Thomas' journey from hidden turmoil to inner peace, Angela Aula sharing her celebrations of her Inuit heritage with a world that still knows little about it, and Robert Henry's soft blending of colours giving his pieces an almost otherworldly feel.
The Team
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Contact Us
If you are interested in more information about our projects and services or wish to hire us, you can reach us here:
Phone: 705-791-6271