Germany
Introduction
The Canadian embassy has established and fostered solid ties between Aboriginal
peoples and Germany on many levels and in various ways. The success of - and
impetus for - initiatives in this field have been greatly facilitated by the immense
interest that Germans take in Aboriginal issues.
In Germany, the general perception of North American Aboriginal peoples is often
fuelled by romantic notions and stereotypical portrayals, which, nonetheless, are
benevolent and full of admiration. An indicator of this fond admiration is the large
number of so-called Indian clubs across Germany which are devoted to the
(pseudo-)re-enactment of ancient Aboriginal life.
Through many events, such as academic conferences, cultural activities, exhibits,
and trade fairs, the Canadian embassy has provided German audiences with a more
authentic picture of First Nations and Inuit realities. These events either had a
particular focus on Canada's Aboriginal peoples and/ or included some form of
Aboriginal content and Aboriginal participation. This mission profile is not a complete
account of the activities relating to Aboriginal issues which the Canadian embassy in
Germany organized or contributed to in some form, but rather a sketch of more
recent involvements in the different spheres of activity.
New Embassy
During the Team Canada trade mission to Germany in February of 2002, Prime
Minister Jean Chrétien and the Premiers and Territorial Leaders participated in the
groundbreaking ceremony for the new chancery site on Leipziger Platz on February
18th. Part of this event was the exhibition of the time capsule, a red cedar bentwood
chest by Kwakwaka' wakw artist Calvin Hunt. The chest's design is Northern
Kwakiutl, painted in red and black and featuring masks on both short sides.
 Calvin Hunt and the bentwood chest 2002 Scheduled to be completed in 2004, there will be art by Aboriginal Canadians (yet to
be selected) featured as part of the integrated public art of this new embassy,
making for an Aboriginal presence in the representation of Canada in Germany in a
profound way.
Political
There is a lively interest in political issues relating to First Nations and Inuit in
Germany. Specifically, issues of land use and the settlement of land claims are
followed attentively.
On April 24th, 2001, the Canadian embassy organized a press conference to inform
the German media about the British Columbia Central Coast Land Use
Announcement. Involving Aboriginal leaders of the region, the Premier of British
Columbia, environmental groups and forest companies, an agreement was reached
to protect an old-growth coastal forest tract of some 600,000 hectares. Among the
presenters at the press conference in Berlin was Chief Garry Hall (Kitassoo/ Xaixas)
who presented forward the First Nations perspective.
Cultural
Reflecting the appreciation of First Nations and Inuit artists and their work in
Germany, there have been numerous and diverse events featuring Aboriginal
culture(s).
On November 28th, 1994, Michael Arvaaluk Kusugak gave a reading in Stuttgart. In
November of 1998, several Canadian authors participated in a workshop by the
Literaturwerkstatt Berlin, among them Ojibway playwright Drew Hayden Taylor, who
then embarked on a reading and lecture tour to Kiel, Rostock, Greifswald,
Osnabrück, and Düsseldorf universities. Again, in May of 2001, Drew Hayden Taylor
gave talks on "Canoeing up the River of Native Theatre and my many Portages: A
Discussion of Contemporary Native Storytelling" at Hannover, Düsseldorf and
Osnabrück universities.
On October 20th, 2000, Canadian artists were showcased at WOMEX, the world
music expo, in Berlin. Among those featured were performances by the Whitefish
Juniors, the Kanenhi:io Singers, Cavin Vollrath, and Lucie Idlout.
On her state visit to Germany from October 22nd to October 27th, 2001, Governor
General Adrienne Clarkson was accompanied by a group of Canadian artists and
writers. Renowned Aboriginal playwright, musician, and university instructor, Tomson
Highway, was a member of Adrienne Clarkson's official delegation. During the state
visit, Tomson Highway took part in discussions on "Modern Identities in the 21st
Century" in Dresden, on "Literature as a Reflection of a Society's Values" in Berlin,
and on "Dramatic Art as a Force of Social Change" in Düsseldorf.
Also on the occasion of the Govenor General's visit, a week-long film festival on
Canadian film ("Imagine Canada") was held at the Arsenal movie theatre in Berlin,
during which "Atanarjuat - The Fast Runner" was screened. This first feature film out
of Nunavut - written, produced, directed, and acted by Inuit and in Inuktitut - has
proved a huge worldwide success, having won, among many other awards, the
Camera d'or for Best First Feature Film in Cannes 2001.
More recently, Atanarjuat - as well as the complete 13-part Nunavut (Our Land) TV
series which was also produced by Igloolik Isuma Productions - was featured at the
Documenta 11 in Kassel. Atanarjuat is scheduled to be in German movie theatres on
December 12th, 2002 (distributed in Germany by Arsenal Filmverleih).
As a cultural spin off from the Team Canada trade mission, the Bayerischer
Rundfunk (Bavarian TV station) included Nunavut in a film report on Canada which
was shot in June of 2002.
Expo 2000
The Canada pavilion in Hannover featured Aboriginal exhibits as part of the display
on Canada at Expo 2000. One exhibit "Iitl'hlaangaay - Inuusivut" (Our World - Our
Way of Life) presented the Inuit and the Haida, depicting their histories from ancient
times to the challenges of the presence and highlighting the diversity of Aboriginal
groups in Canada. Integrated in the exhibit were a 20-foot Haida totem pole carved
by Reg Davidson (Haida) and a tapestry entitled "See Beneath the Waves" by
Shirley Moorhouse (Inuk). Another permanent exhibit entitled "North" showcased the
vast North and its peoples stressing the cultural diversity and cultural expression that
combine traditional techniques with 21st century technology. Throat singers and other
performers entertained the audience.
In addition, there were various groups performing at the Canada pavilion during
Expo 2000, for instance, members of the M'Skwa Noodin performing group from
Manitoulin Island who performed dances and songs from the Ojibway First Nation.
On July 1st, Aqsarniit, a group of Inuit, performed drumming and throat singing and
Tling Jingaas, a group of Haida, performed Haida songs and dances as parts of the
Canada Day celebrations.
Museums
Building close working relationships with Ethnological Museums in Germany, the
Canadian embassy has supported ethnological exhibits of which Canada's First
Nations and Inuit were a part or the major focus.
In 1979, the Völkerkundemuseum Hamburg featured the exhibit "Donnervogel und
Raubwal" during which Kwakwaka'wakw carver Calvin Hunt was an artist in
residence for four weeks.
In 1988, the Museum in Dortmund opened a major exhibit of contemporary Indian
and Inuit Art from Canada: "In the Shadow of the Sun" which later became the
opening exhibit for the new building of Ottawa's Museum of Civilization.
In 1998, the Linden-Museum of Ethnography in Stuttgart put on an exhibition on
"North American Indians - The Art of Survival" during which Clarence Mills (Haida)
and Jane Ash Poitras (Chipewyan) were invited to use the Museum as a studio for a
week, co-financed through the Association for Canadian Studies in German
speaking countries (GKS).
In 1999, the Landesmuseum Halle opened an exhibit with the title "Lost Vision,
Forgotten Dreams". It showed pre-historic artifacts that the Museum of Civilization in
Ottawa collected in recent decades. On this occasion, the GKS organized a program
of interdisciplinary lectures on "The Arctic Today". Co-sponsored by the Canadian
embassy and the provincial government of Sachsen-Anhalt, Inuk carver Mattiusi
Iyaituk from Ivujivik, Nunavik spent a week presenting his work at the Museum in
Halle.
Also in late 1999, the Ethnological Museum of Berlin, for the first time since WWII,
re-opened its North America collection with an exhibit titled "North American Indians
- From Myth to Modernity". At the opening ceremony, then Ambassador Gaëtan
Lavertu gave a speech. In December 1999, Calvin Hunt presented Kwakiutl art at the
Museum. In early 2000, the Ethnological Museum organized a ten-day Aboriginal
film fest to complement the theme of the exhibit.
In May of 2001, the Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde Munich inaugurated the
newly refurbished North America hall featuring First Nations and Inuit art and
artifacts. An opening address was given by Ambassador Marie Bernard-Meunier and
this high-profile event received wide attention and acclaim.
Art Galleries
Several art galleries in Germany sell and exhibit Aboriginal art. The "Inuit Galerie" in
Mannheim featured George Arlook in 1998. George Arlook's sculptures were also on
display in "Galerie Kunstreich" in Berlin later that year. The "Galerie im alten Kloster"
in Cologne showcased Anisnawbek and Mohawk art by Ahmoo Angeconeb, Alex
Jacobs, Roy Thomas, Blake Debassige, and Saul Williams in January of 1999. The
"Inuit Galerie" exhibited works by Jacoposie Tiglik und Geoff Ryan in spring of 1999
in Ahlen and prints from Pangnirtung in Mannheim. In 2000, both "Galerie
Kunstreich" and "Galerie am Alten Kloster" had Anishnabe art by Ahmoo Angoceneb
on exhibit.
The "Inuit Galerie" in Mannheim has meanwhile closed. You can find a list of
galleries (with contact information) on the German version of the Canadian embassy
website www.canada.de.
Totem Poles
A totem pole by Tony Hunt was donated by the Canadian Government to the city of
Bonn, the former capital of West Germany, in 1979. On this occasion a group of
seven Kwakwaka'wakw came to Bonn and then went on to Trier, Hamburg, Frankfurt
and Berlin to perform dances. They also participated in the opening of the 1979
"Donnervogel and Raubwal" exhibiton at the Hamburg Museum.
There is another totem pole by Tony Hunt in Lahr which was given to the city of Lahr
on July 1st, 1977.
A further totem pole was carved in Munich in 1995 by David Seven Deers, sculptor
and painter of the Skwah Sto-lo Halkomelem tribe in British Columbia. After working
on it for well over 2 ½ years, David Seven Deers officially handed over the totem
pole to the mayor of Hamburg, as a gift to the city. It now stands in front of the
Völkerkundemuseum Hamburg.
Three new totem poles and a fairly comprehensive collection of contemporary
Northwest Coast Indian masks are in the museum of wood carvings of the Daetz-Foundation
in Lichtenstein/Sachsen, which was inaugurated in May 2001.
Exhibits
From the 1970s until the 1990s, the Embassy regularly organized showings of
exhibits provided by DFAIT such as "People of the Cedar", "Inusivut", "Images of
Reality", and "Eskimini". These exhibits where shown in museums, universities, city
halls and banks, very often as part of the Canada Days program, which included
exhibits, trade and tourism promotion, concerts, films, and lectures.
As of 1988, the embassy put together an exhibition of contemporary Northwest
Coast Indian art (prints, wooden objects, masks, jewellery, argillite carvings). Most
artifacts are privately owned by the embassy's Academic Relations officer. The
exhibit includes art works by Freda Diesing, Robert Davidson, Reg Davidson and
Clarence Mills (Haida), Susan A. Point (Salish), Danny Dennis, Herber Reece and
Phil Janze (Tsimshian), Art Thompson and Tim Paul (Nuu-chah-nulth), Mark
Henderson, Tony Hunt, George Hunt jr., Stan. C. Hunt, Calvin Hunt, Eugene W.
Hunt, Ross Hunt, Dwayne Simeon, and Joe Peters Jr. (Kwakwaka'wakw) as well as
John Livingston.
 Clarence Mills, Dancing Raven, 1991 The following list of venues illustrates the different places and contexts that this
collection has been shown in: 1988 in Schwäbisch Gmünd (museum), 1992 in
Maintal (city hall), 1993 in Cologne (bank) and Kulmbach (bank), 1994 in Limburg
(bank) and Bonn (Federal Press Club); 1995 in Recklinghausen (bank) and Marburg
(bank); 1996 in Lahr (bank), Magdeburg (bank and cultural centre), and Vienna
(bank); 1997 in Berlin (hotel), Innsbruck (university, to mark the opening of the first
Canadian Studies Centre in Austria), and Frankfurt (museum); 1998 in Trier
(university), Osnabrück (university), and Bad Schwalbach (bank); 1999 in Schwerin
(hotel); 2000 in Bremen (university). The exhibit is so popular that our embassies in
Budapest and Abu Dhabi borrowed it in 2001/02 for showings in Budapest,
Nyeregyhaza, Aleppo, Damascus, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. As of mid October 2002,
the exhibit is on display in Augsburg (bank) in cooperation with the Canadian Studies
Institute of Augsburg University.
The showing of such an art exhibit provides the opportunity for an embassy
representative to talk about Canada's indigenous peoples and about recent
developments in the negotiations between Canada's First Nations and the
governments. There is always a lecture by a German ethnographer on the history of
the Aboriginal cultures on the Pacific Coast and on contemporary artists and their
works.
As banks in Germany are sometimes quite generous if they co-sponsor such
exhibits, we have been able to invite native artists to come and demonstrate their
artistic skills for the general public and give presentations to students, school
children and friends of Canada such as the German-Canadian Society. Artists
Francis Dick, Calvin Hunt, Tom Hunt jr., Maxine Matilpi and Clarence Mills have thus
been able to come to Germany.
Academic
In the academic community there is wide-ranging interest in Aboriginal issues.
Members of the Association for Canadian Studies in German-speaking countries
(GKS) - our main partner in our bilateral academic relations - are in particular active
in this field as reflected in research, publications, student projects, conferences,
working groups, and library acquisitions.
On the embassy's initiative, the University of Marburg held two interdisciplinary
seminars for students from the German speaking countries on "Canada's Native
People" in 1993 and on "First Nations People in Canada" in 1995.
On the occasion of the opening of the North American collection of the Ethnological
Museum in Berlin in 1999, the John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies
(which happens to be conveniently located across the street from the Ethnological
Museum) organized a symposium on "Mirror Writing - (Re)Constructions of Native
American Identity" with scholars from Canada, the United States and Europe. The
library of the Institute put together a book exhibit on "The Invention of the Indian - the
'white' view". The cooperation of institutions and crosscutting of fields is something
that the Canadian embassy encourages, especially since it makes particular sense
in regard to multifaceted Aboriginal issues.
One of the major events of the Canadian studies community (if not the major event)
is the annual conference of the Association of Canadian Studies in German-speaking Countries
(GKS) in Grainau/Bavaria. The conference has over the years
had several Aboriginal speakers and panelists. One of the mainstays of the
conference held in Grainau is an exhibition of Inuit art by the Galerie CreArtion which
showcases soapstone carvings from the Canadian Arctic. (CREARTION Freia
Sasse, Am Honigbaum 14, 65817 Eppstein, Tel.: 06198 - 97 46, Fax: 06198 - 97
46).
In 1996, the whole Grainau conference was devoted to the topic of Aboriginal
Canadians under the conference title: "First Nations in Canada - Shaping the
Future". German and Aboriginal academics discussed aspects of Aboriginal past,
present and future both in the general forum and from the perspectives of the
individual sections of the GKS. For example, Mary Simon (Ambassador for
Circumpolar Affairs) gave a talk on "International Arctic Cooperation"; Shirley
Cheechoo presented her one-woman-play "Path with no Moccasins"; and Harry
Bombay (National Aboriginal Forestry Association) discussed "Aboriginal Peoples'
Involvement in Forestry Resource Management in Canada". During this particular
conference the embassy's Northwest Coast Indian art exhibit was on display as well.
More recently, at the 2001 annual GKS conference ("Environment and
Environmental Justice") Chief Ron Evans of the Norway House Cree Nation
presented his experiences in his presentation of "Impacts Associated with Hydro-Electric
Development in Northern Manitoba, Canada and the Northern Flood
Agreement: An Overview and Assessment of the Norway House Cree Nation Master
Implementation Agreement".
At the 2002 annual conference in Grainau "(Re)Inventing the Canadian West",
Douglas Brown (Simon Fraser University / Skeetchestn Indian Band Administrator)
contributed a presentation of "Carrier Sekani Self-Government in Context: The
Connection to Lands and Resources".
In August 2002, Humboldt University Berlin hosted the 6th biannual Autumn Summer
School on New Literatures in English, organized by students for students. The
highlight of the event's "Canada Day" was the performance of Ian Ross who read
from his play "fareWel" which is set on a reserve and deals with the problems faced
by contemporary Aboriginals. "FareWel" won the Governor General's Award for
Drama in 1997.
Publications by German scholars have covered quite a bit of territory and different
perspectives, such as theatre, literature, art, anthropology, politics, linguistics,
geography, and politics. Among the most important German publications on art and
culture of North America's Aboriginal peoples are "Donnervogel und Raubwal. Die
indianische Kunst der Nordwestküste Nordamerikas (Thunderbird and Killerwhale.
Indian Art of the North American Northwest Coast)" by Wolfgang Haberland
published in 1979, "Im Schatten der Sonne (Shadow of the Sun)" edited by Gerhard
Hoffmann in 1989, "Indianer Nordamerikas (North American Indians)" edited by
Peter Bolz und Hans-Ulrich Sanner in 1999, and "Kulturen der nordamerikanischen
Indianer (Cultures of North American Indians)" edited by Christian F. Feest published
in 2000.
Trade and Tourism Promotion
An unusual promotion campaign in cooperation with Tourism Canada in Düsseldorf,
the embassy in Bonn and the consulate in Munich took place November to
December of 1996 at the Kaufhaus Beck in Munich. At this prestigious department
store in central Munich, 10 artists from British Columbia under the leadership of
Calvin and Marie Hunt of the Coppermaker Gallery (carving studio and workshop in
Fort Rupert on Vancouver Island, British Columbia) showcased their art and their art-making
in progress. The ten artists were Calvin Hunt, Jason Hunt, Mark Henderson,
Nancy Dawson, Mervyn Child, Ken Cameron, Deborah Cameron, Stephen Hunt,
Adeline Dickie and Teresa Badine.
In September 2000, 15 members (chiefs and artists) of the Waubetek First Nations
tribe in Northern Ontario, visited Munich as part of a business mission. The
programme included a visit to the Ethnological Museum where the new North
America hall was being finalized. The Museum's special request to have the chiefs
perform a ceremonial dance to bless the new location was willingly complied with.
The local media and selected guests were invited by the Museum and the
Consulate. Between 50-70 guests were expected, over 250 guests came. More
native dances were performed during the reception that followed. The event received
excellent media reviews.
The progamme for the Waubetek group further included a visit and several native
dance performances at Pullman City, a club located two hours away from Munich on
an area of approximately 200,000 square metres. Pulmann City prides itself on
presenting native life in its original historical form. The Waubetek members were
impressed by the careful research done, and there were serious discussions for
future cooperation
Trade
Frieda Saleh at the Canadian Consulate in Munich is responsible for Aboriginal non-art products (see contact info below).
The leaders of all three territories participated in the 2002 Team Canada trade
mission to Russia and Germany. During Team Canada in Berlin and Munich, two
Aboriginal related contracts were signed. One contract was signed between the
Government of Yukon and Fulda Reifen on promotional and marketing cooperation
and another contract was signed between Kivaliq Arctic Foods of Rankin Inlet,
Nunavut and Peter Paulsen Import of Hamburg on the development of markets for
country food from Nunavut in Germany.
Rieger Pelz, a large fur dealer in Munich, met with Nunavut economic development
representatives at the Montreal Trade Fair to discuss importing furs from Nunavut. In
1995, a delegation of Canadians from fur producing regions were in Germany for
several days to promote the import of furs.
Four Aboriginal companies attended Anuga 2001 Fair and Trade Show in Cologne,
Germany. Anuga is the largest international food and beverage products show in the
world with 6,500 exhibitors from over 144 countries. A special "Aboriginal Pavilion"
featuring many traditional foods included cranberry products, specialty meats,
organic rice and fish products.
Links
Embassy of Canada in Berlin
www.canada.de
Association for Canadian Studies in German speaking countries
www.kanada-studien.de
Contact person (Trade):
Frieda Saleh
Commercial Officer
Canadian Consulate
Tal 29
80331 Munich
Tel: + 49 89 2199 5716
Fax: + 49 89 2199 5757
E-mail: frieda.saleh@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
Editor: Julie Tomiak
Published by the Embassy of Canada, Friedrichstr. 95, 10117 Berlin
Tel: +49 30 2031 20
E-mail: brlin-pa@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
Jean Fredette, Counsellor Cultural Affairs
Valerie Nabb, Deputy Head Culture and Public Affairs
Jennifer Broadbridge, Press Attaché
Astrid Holzamer, Cultural Attaché - Music and Literature
Walter Larink, Canadian Studies Officer
Thilo Lenz, Public Affairs Attaché
Gabriele Naumann-Maerten, Cultural Attaché - Performing Arts
Vanessa Ohlraun, Cultural Attaché - Visual Arts, Film, New Media
Sheryl Penner, Assisstant Public Affairs
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