Amntu’kati – Spirit Place
Sarah Brooks and Cynthia Martin
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Treaty Space Gallery, 1107 Marginal Rd.
Undergraduate exhibitors
About their collaboration, Brooks and Martin offer, “It’s important for us to acknowledge the stories and histories of the land that we occupy and be mindful of what that means. We aim to pay homage to our loved ones and ancestors in the spirit world through respectful reclamation of locations that have cultural and traditional spiritual value.”
Through this textile and ceramics installation, Brooks and Martin pay homage to their ancestors in the spirit world by reclaiming the cultural and spiritual significance of the land the Treaty Space Gallery occupies, while also educating visitors on Mi’kmaw traditions, symbols, terms, and districts.
Amntu’kati is a Mi’kmaw term translating to “Spirit Place” or “The Place of Spirits”. The installation rests on this sacred land where the artists’ ancestors gathered yearly from across Mi’kma’ki since time immemorial. The handmade ceramics and textiles evoke images of the night sky where these ancestor spirits reside, the earth we come from, and of samqwan – the life-giving, cleansing water that connects us with what’s beyond our existence.
