Métis artist hopes to spark conversation with yarn installations across Waterloo region

Métis artist uses yarn to spark dialogue A Métis artist is using her work to start a conversation, one red string at a time. Heather Senoran reports.

An Indigenous artist is using her work to spark dialogue in communities across the country, including in Waterloo region, as part of the Hope and Healing Canada initiative.

Tracey-Mae Chambers, a member of the Métis Nation of Ontario, said she has been doing art her whole life but wanted a new way to connect to people during the pandemic.

Since 2021, she’s been using strands of red yarn, weaving it into unique patterns. Every installation is specific to the location.

She said she chose to install them at museums for a reason.

“Places like this, where a museum tells a story of settlers but not anyone else in the community, predominantly Indigenous peoples,” said Chambers.

When she heard about the discovery of potential grave sites of hundreds of Indigenous children at a former Kamloops residential school, she knew she wanted to inspire people to talk about decolonization.

“That’s what reconciliation looks like, conversation,” she said. “Yes, it’s painful. But sometimes a little discomfort is required,” she said.

Chambers said the yarn represents the different members of a community, who together make up its fabric.

“Whether that is settler Canadians or it’s Métis or Indigenous Canadians, it’s the connection between them,” she said. “One string is strong. Two strings is stronger. Three strings is even stronger, but if we weave them together it actually makes something incredibly strong.”

Chamber’s work will be displayed at various museums across Waterloo region starting this week. The installations will remain up until the fall.

“It's how we move forward,” said Keri Solomon, manager of Region of Waterloo museums. “It's how we make sure that these stories we tell are inclusive.”