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Item Name: Painting
Title: Jacob, Stories from the Road Allowance People
Maker: Sherry Farrell Racette
Year: 1994
Country: Canadian
Materials: gouache on paper
Measurements: overall: 28 cm x 21.5 cm
ID Number: PC96.2J
Legal Status: PERMANENT COLLECTION


Extended Label Info: This series of paintings was created by Sherry Farrell Racette for the book Stories of the Road Allowance People to accompany oral tales from Métis elders, translated from Cree-Michif to English by author Maria Campbell. The road allowance refers to Crown land which had been reserved for public use and was therefore un-occupied. After the battle of Batoche, many Métis people lost their land to Canadian authorities and were reduced to occupying the “road allowances”, areas of land designated for roads by Crown surveyors. Campbell’s poignant retelling of Métis traditional stories handed down from lii vyeu—the Old People, has become a treasured resource about the traditional Michif worldview. Sherry Farrell Racette (1952- ) was born in Pine Falls, Manitoba, and is of Métis heritage, and a member of the Timiskaming First Nation (Quebec). She has earned a BFA (1974) and a certificate in Education (1975) from the University of Manitoba; a MEd (1988) from the University of Regina, and a PhD from the University of Manitoba in the Interdisciplinary Program in Anthropology, History and Native Studies (2004). Her beadwork, painting, and multi-media textile works reflect her research in First Nations and Métis history, traditional arts, gender studies, and issues of self-representation. Her work has been exhibited nationally, and is held in numerous public collections including the Canada Council Art Bank, Saskatchewan Arts Board, and MacKenzie Art Gallery. Maria Campbell (1940- ) is an Elder, educator, author, playwright, broadcaster, and filmmaker of Métis heritage. She was born on a trap-line in rural Saskatchewan, and grew up in a road-allowance community. Fluent in four languages: Cree, Michif, Saulteaux and English, she is currently the Elder in Residence at the Centre for World Indigenous Knowledge and Research at Athabasca University. Campbell’s ground-breaking autobiography, Halfbreed is one of the most widely taught texts in Canadian literature. She earned an M.A. in Native studies from the University of Saskatchewan, and taught creative writing, Native studies, and drama for many years. A member of the Saskatchewan Theatre Hall of Fame, Campbell’s awards include the National Aboriginal Achievement Award, the Gabriel Dumont Order of Merit, and the Order of Canada (2008).