An iconic new art piece is taking shape on a landmark building right at the epicentre of Winnipeg – Portage and Main. A massive beadwork display now drapes in and around the front entrance of the former Bank of Montreal building, now owned by the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF). “I really wanted to focus on us as Red River Métis and our roots being here,” said Jennine Krauchi, the artist for the project. “This area, it’s the birthplace of the Métis, the Red River Métis.” The artwork is no small feat, as it is made up of 750,000 individually painted chain links that would be 14 kilometres long if they were stretched out end to end. Krauchi said every part of the design showcases symbols that are significant in the Métis culture, from the berries on vines to five-petal flowers. “There’s nothing else like it in Winnipeg,” she said. “For myself, I’d never seen anything like it until they showed me some of the samples.” The way the artwork is being displayed has historical significance as well, according to Barbara Fleury, the culture and heritage minister for the MMF. She said using the chains to showcase the beadwork connects back to Louis Riel when he demanded federal surveyors leave Métis land. “In 1869, when Louis Riel stepped on that chain link with the surveyors that were doing an unauthorized surveying, Louis Riel said, ‘That’s enough. No more.’ That was a very pivotal role for the Manitoba Red River Métis because we finally said enough was enough.” Fleury said so much of Métis culture hasn’t been taught properly over the years. She hopes this artwork is a stepping stone for people to better learn and understand the Métis way of life. “This is like a heartbeat of our Red River Métis and our heartbeat is going out there and letting all our Métis people know, come home now. We can do that. And it’s important because that was taken from us.” Krauchi has been receiving a lot of praise for her work, she said, from Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike who are amazed by the design. She hopes the art piece bridges the gap between the past and present – making Métis ancestors proud, as many had their work taken from them all those years ago and showing the next generation the history and potential of the Red River Métis. “When I was really learning about our Metis beadwork, I found a lot of that at museums, especially the Manitoba Museum, and to pull out drawers and see that beadwork and to be able to learn from it. That’s what I’m hoping is going to happen here,” said Krauchi. Winnipeg firm Number Ten Architectural Group has been working with the MMF and Krauchi to bring this display to life. The entire heritage centre is scheduled to open in the spring of 2027.
