The Cultural Curation Project unites Indigenous voices from across Canada to foster a culturally centered and impact-driven approach to curation. The project’s overall goal is to offer opportunities for cross-cultural collaboration among Indigenous voices in Canada, outside Canada, and with settler populations, in order to grow artistic opportunities, cultural safety, learning opportunities, and a sense of belonging within the arts.

Operating since June 2023, this project has created the Cultural Curation Training which offers learning opportunities to artistic organizations. Looking forward, this project strives to create more opportunities for cross-cultural dialogues that unite the Indigenous experiences through the lens of art, culture, and resistance.

As the founder of this initiative, it is essential that I share about myself so others will know  where my knowledge is coming from. It will also keep me accountable to my communities in this work and grounded in our values. 

My name is Lajah Warren (she/her). I am from the lək’ʷəniʔən territory, otherwise known as Songhees and Esquimalt Nations on Vancouver Island.I am a young Indigiqueer woman, of mixed heritage (both Indigenous and settler descent). I have Cree, Ojibwa and Métis heritage from my Kookum’s family. On my mother’s side, we are Icelandic and English. My educational background is in Child and Youth Care (with an Indigenous specialisation) and most of my professional work has focused on social care, Indigenous sovereignty, land-based relationships, counselling, and Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer care. In all of these roles, I have always found ways to bring art into the work. In this, I always found that art drives community, and community drives artwork. 

 Since I was a child, I watched my dad turn beautiful blocks of wood into carvings. This inspired me to see the spirit in my artwork and see art as a part of my healing journey. I am an interdisciplinary artist, with a focus on acrylic painting that weaves traditional Coast Salish designs with expressive art techniques. 

My artwork is a living representation of my healing journey. I create ‘imperfect art’ and create for the healing process instead of the final product. So, my art practice allows me to explore themes of community, storytelling, self-reflection, activism, land-based relations, and allyship. My art is not meant to be an aesthetic, but a dialogue that will create a community of both people who can personally relate with the themes shared in my work, and for the people who have no relations with it at all. My art is a starting point for the Circle I intend to create. It is my form of questioning. It is my way of understanding the world. It is my act of resistance. 

While my art is a way of healing, it is also a way for me to cope with the injustices that happen daily for Indigenous peoples. It is my way of sharing our stories of strength and resistance. It carries with it both hope and struggle. I have deep gratitude for all the creative ancestors that have put their lives on the frontlines to keep our practices alive.