Why 'responsiblity' is a tricky word for Indigenous musician IsKwé

At last week's AGO Creative Minds — which brought together four influential artists for a conversation about art and truth in tumultuous times — award-winning Indigenous musician IsKwé spoke about her complex relationship with the word "responsibility."

"I think that oftentime in the conversation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous relationships, there's this essence of responsibility that's placed on our shoulders when it comes to creating healthier relationships," she says.

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Creative Minds: IsKwé on what's meant by 'responsibility'

7 years ago

Duration 0:57

"Often times in the conversation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous relationship, there's this essence of responsibility that's placed on our shoulders."

She explains that it can't all fall on one person or group of people; everyone needs to come forward and be a part of the resolution. "If the responsibility is on one person then it's not actually mending anything — it's just masking and wiping things under the rug," she says.

I think that oftentime in the conversation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous relationships, there's this essence of responsibility that's placed on our shoulders when it comes to creating healthier relationships.- IsKwé

That idea of responsibility can create this greater separation and slows the progression of repairing broken relationships. IsKwé thinks it "just creates this further divide that makes me feel we're not being heard again."

The bigger conversation IsKwé was a part of at AGO Creative Minds examined art's place in exposing the truth in the age of fake new and filter bubbles. IsKwé was joined by thought provoking performance artist Andrea Fraser, award-winning filmmaker Charles Officer and celebrated author Salman Rushdie.

Watch the full conversation: