Jiigibiig (Along the Edge of the Water)
Joshua Morley
Anishinaabe of Wabauskang First Nation
Josh Morley is an Anishinaabe artist working in screen printing and mural work in Peterborough/Nogojiwanong. His work explores regional ecological issues, his personal relationship with nature, as well as his ancestral connection to the land. He has exhibited in solo and group shows within Ontario. Recent exhibitions include “Our Story: Past and Present”, an Indigenous group show held at the Museum of Dufferin in Mulmur, Ontario. Previous public art commissions include “Glacial Formation”, a road mural he created for the 2022 and 2023 Renaissance on Hunter Projects. In 2023, he was artist-in-residence with the City of Peterborough Changemakers Artist Residency Program. In this residency he worked closely with City staff and other stakeholders to better amplify climate change awareness and its effect on the community. In 2024 Josh was awarded the commission for the Artspace Maker Space Mural Project. The goal of this initiative was to create a semi-permanent mural at Artspace to recognize the territory of the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg.
About Jiigibiig
I believe it is important to celebrate the history of our spaces, how they have evolved, and what they may have meant to us through time. The Chemong Portage, once engraved in the land, acted as a route to connect communities and far off locales. Like much of creation, it is an entity that has evolved through its own history and stories to what we recognize today.
Jiigibiig, celebrates this history by connecting today's landscape with the life of the portage. The landscape has been rendered using bold colours and exaggerated forms to represent the significance of the portage and the land. Fish and game, trees and plants still play an important role in sustaining communities.
Birch was used to build canoes for hunting, fishing, and migrating. Red Osier Dogwood was used for food (its berries) and medicinally (its bark). The branches were also effective for constructing traps and baskets. Wild Ginger was used for general consumption but also for treating ailments. March Marigold, Coneflowers, and Wild Roses were also collected for medicinal use. The person in the piece travels the portage in balance with the landscape and waterways. My goal is to help viewers see the portage as it may have been.
– Josh Morley, 2024
