Culture Warriors: Education and Awareness at the Inaugural National Indigenous Art Triennial, organized by National Gallery of Australia, 2007-2009

This thesis discusses the inaugural National Indigenous Art Triennial: Culture Warriors organized and hosted by the National Gallery of Australia and provides a critical analysis of the National Indigenous Art Triennial: Educational Resource that accompanied the exhibition. The aim of this discussion and analysis is to identify elements from the educational program at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) that effectively increase knowledge and appreciation of Indigenous art at the Gallery. The premise behind my analysis consists of the possibility and feasibility of using similar educational programs in a Canadian context. Using an exploratory approach, this thesis brings attention to elements that could potentially be of benefit to the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) in the development of future educational programs associated with Indigenous Art exhibitions. It is well-known that, in the past, the NGC has been criticized for its exhibition, collecting, and dissemination practices with regards to Indigenous art. Having undergone considerable changes since the 1990’s, the NGC is beginning to look like a different institution especially with the establishment of an Indigenous Art Department in August 2007. One particular area criticized in the past about the NGC has been public access to and information about Indigenous art at the Gallery. As stated by Alfred Young Man, Department Head of Indian Fine Arts, at the First Nations University of Canada, in 2008; “There needs to be a better way for people who are looking for Aboriginal art at the National Gallery to find it, and learn about it.” Today, the NGC’s mandate seeks to “increase the knowledge, awareness and appreciation of Indigenous art in Canada and internationally.” With its Indigenous Art Department currently in a relative stage of infancy, it is a logical time to be looking at the educational tools being developed and implemented at similar institutions, such as the NGA, for ideas as to how the NGC can fulfill its present-day mandate