Exhibit at Halifax gallery explores the meaning and evolution of Mi’kmaw regalia [Video]

A new exhibit exploring Mi’kmaw regalia highlights how dancers maintain cultural integrity while materials and technology evolve.

The exhibit Amalkewinu’k (The Dancers) is on display at Treaty Space Gallery, the Indigenous-led gallery at the Nova Scotia College for Art and Design’s Port Campus in Halifax, Feb. 4-15.

It features contemporary photographs of dancers in ko’jua regalia alongside archival photos of traditional dancers. Ko’jua is a traditional Mi’kmaw dance.

The exhibit was created by Aaron Prosper, who is Mi’kmaw from Eskasoni First Nation on Cape Breton Island, and Mackenzie Pardy from Wolfville, N.S.

“With ko’jua dancers, a lot of them are very actively researching, studying and ensuring they maintain the cultural integrity of what it means to have a Mi’kmaw regalia,” said Prosper.

The archival photographs, provided by the Nova Scotia Museum and Parks Canada, are meant to juxtapose the modern photos of dancers in their regalia, highlighting the evolution of …