Gustav Sohon, Mr. J. Bird Half breed Blackfoot Interpreter, pencil sketch on paper, Oct. 18 1855. Courtesy of the Washington State Historical Society.
Jemmy Jock Bird: Interpreter of Change, the Signing of Treaty 7 | Tiny Press Workshop | VIRTUAL
September 12 | 2 - 4 PM MST | $20 | $10 with SAAG Pass
With Dr. Linda Many Guns, in partnership with Reconciliation Lethbridge Advisory Committee
BOOK YOUR ADMISSION TO THE VIRTUAL EVENT BELOW | If you have any additional questions, please contact us!
As part of Reconciliation Week Lethbridge, the Southern Alberta Art Gallery is hosting an online Tiny Press Workshop to publish JEMMY JOCK BIRD: INTERPRETER OF CHANGE, THE SIGNING OF TREATY 7. This original publication, initiated by the gallery, includes an essay by Dr. Linda Many Guns, outlining the importance of Jemmy Jock Bird (1798 - 1892) in the signing of Treaty 7. Jock Bird was a skilled translator, speaking 7 Indigenous languages as well as English. He was respected and trusted by both parties, which was crucial in coming to an agreement. Many Guns shares the adventures of Jock Bird, and paints a vivid picture of the changes that were happening to Blackfoot society at this time.
We are all treaty peoples, and this publication intends to share the context of the signing of the treaties, and our continued responsibility to uphold them today. We will gather online over zoom, with the author Dr. Linda Many Guns, sharing in open discussion about the text. Publication packages will be available for pick-up at the gallery in advance of the workshop, or can be mailed to participants. If you would like to receive yours in the mail by the workshop, please register by August 30. This event is hosted in partnership with the Reconciliation Lethbridge Advisory Committee.
DR. LINDA MANY GUNS is a Blackfoot woman born on the Tsuut’ina Nation, now registered at Siksika. She is grandmother to five children. Many Guns grew up in Europe as an air force brat, and in her adult life sought out and now embraces the Blackfoot culture as the core of her identity. In the early years she worked as a high steel construction worker, a Red Seal Chef, a union leader for CUPE, owned two restaurants in Utah, and ran in the provincial NDP elections for Red Deer South.
Many Guns has earned 4 degrees: (BA Sociology; MA Sociology; LLB University of Ottawa and a PhD in Philosophy from Trent University). She was awarded the second-year sociology award for her undergraduate degree. In law school, fellow students nominated her for the Karim Green Spon award for outstanding achievement. Many Guns national projects include getting recognition for the Eagle Feather to swear oaths in the Courts of Canada. She’s also worked at the Indian Lands Claims Commission in Ottawa. Many Guns has been a professor teaching Indigenous law, Indigenous Health and Community development for over ten years, and supervises Phd Students and helped MA students in a variety of unique research studies. Many Guns currently serves as the associate vice president of Indigenization and Decolonization at Mount Royal University in Calgary.
TINY PRESS is a handmade bookmaking studio at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, in Lethbridge Alberta. Tiny Press prints, binds, and distributes books by hand, creating original work with writers and artists of the region, about topics that are important to us. Tiny Press is a community resource, and social gathering place for those interested in learning about publication, and connecting with others through a DIY mentality.
