Joely is a multi-hyphenate artist whose main source of inspiration is Tatanga (the Buffalo), as it connects her to ancestral memories and the land, and acts as the metaphysical glue that keeps her world together. Joely is a fashion and textile designer, visual and literary artist, beader, storyteller, and co-founder of the Buffalo People Arts Institute. She is Nakota/Cree/Saulteaux from the White Bear First Nations—signatory to Treaty 4. She holds degrees in Civil Engineering and Mathematics, as well as a Master of Fine Arts degree.

 

The Governor General of Canada recently recognized Joely and her husband, Lorne Kequahtooway, with a Meritorious Service Medal for their work in sharing traditional knowledge. Through buffalo hide workshops, they shed light on the history of the buffalo as our relative, their essential role in shaping North America, and their continued importance in the lives of Indigenous peoples.

 

Joely facilitates trust-building and learning in all aspects of operations as a TD Curatorial Fellow—Indigenous Relations, MacKenzie Art Gallery’s. She guides the Gallery in centering Indigenous values and self-determination at its roots—offering traditional knowledge, teachings, programming, and sometimes warm hugs.