CARFAC is excited to announce the release of INDIGENOUS PROTOCOLS dot ART – an essential resource for navigating Indigenous Protocols for visual artists and the artistic community. It is part of an ongoing initiative to strengthen respect for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis visual art and artists, and legal and moral rights in the lands commonly known as Canada.
The materials on this website were designed to provide practical guidelines for respectful engagement with Indigenous Peoples. It is designed to help Indigenous artists protect their work, to educate non-Indigenous individuals and organizations about respectful engagement and collaboration with Indigenous Peoples, and to provide tools that can be used to advocate for stronger legislative change.
The document, Indigenous Protocols for the Visual Arts, provides information about legal, ethical, and moral considerations for working with Indigenous Peoples and cultural materials. The document is now available in English and French, and additional languages will soon be added, as the project develops. The website also includes podcast interviews and links to organizations and other resources. It is meant to be a hub of information that will be continually updated.
Indigenous Protocols for the Visual Arts and the information hosted on this website are neither a checklist of Protocols nor a definitive guide to Indigenous Protocols. There are no universal rules for engaging with Indigenous Peoples, communities, and Nations. Rather it is a starting point for discussions and interactions.
This resource does not replace engagement with Indigenous Peoples. Anyone who requires specific advice on Protocols from a particular Nation or community should speak to people in authority or engage an Indigenous consultant with relevant knowledge and experience to help guide the conversation.
Read Indigenous Protocols for the Visual Arts at: https://www.indigenousprotocols.art/
This project has been developed by CARFAC under the guidance of an Indigenous Advisory Circle. We gratefully acknowledge financial support for this project from the Canada Council for the Arts, Employment and Social Development Canada, the Department of Canadian Heritage, CARFAC Saskatchewan, and the Access Copyright Foundation in partnership with Copyright Visual Arts.
