Emily Critch

William Bruce-Robertson

Who she is:

Emily Critch is a woman of Mi'kmaw and Settler ancestry. She lives in and grew up in Elmastukwek, Ktaqamkuk Territory (Bay of Islands, Newfoundland and Labrador). She received her BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) from Grenfell Campus Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, in my home town of Corner Brook. Emily is an artist and curator whose works try to bring Indigenous culture and understanding back into our world through bringing Indigenous artists to the foreground. She also explores the intersectionality of being of Settler and Indigenous descent, and being a woman.

Some of her works:

mitsujuk | kussikuashu | kpitni'sewet | they sew:

This is an exhibit by four female Indigenous artists whose art is grounded in the "craft" of creating something with a thread and needle. The goal of the exhibit is to show how each of these women presents their rich history through stitching. Their stitching is like a political movement. Emily Critch's website reads, "While braiding together reclaimed materials, Indigenous temporalities, and labour of their bodies, Antle, Flowers, May and Tremblett show us the nuances of craft specific to these lands."

around the throat of a flower:

The name of this work refers to a poem by the famous Newfoundland Settler poet, Al Pittman. This work examines the interesting and sometimes complicated relationship that humans have with the environment. A show involving 5 artists, alludes to the often destructive nature that humans have towards the environment. Critch's website reads, "These emotional responses between land, resources, and bodies highlight the complex relationships that people have to the ecologies of land and sustainability."


This exhibition is especially interesting to me as I am a student and it is part of a project called "PULP" gallery which is an initiative to create a student-led exhibition space for Fine Arts students to express themselves at Memorial University.

t/here:

This is a work co-curated by Andrew Testa. It examines the idea of home and what that can mean. Critch’s website reads, "A home can be shared between many and exist within a sense of community and partnerships, but also in oneself. It can be lonely, loud, troublesome, exciting, loving, passionate, traditional, amongst many other things.” This exhibit includes a large number of artists, who each respond to their own meaning of home. One examines clothing and the relationship one’s clothing has to creating a home for oneself. Another examines patterns and textiles; how they change from place to place and affect the homes they are a part of.

Visiting: Logan MacDonald:

This exhibit unpacks and tries to understand Indigenous/settler identity, pan-Indigenous cross cultural exchange and queerness. This exhibition involves the work of Logan Macdonald, who explores endless possibilities that spaces can provide. Critch’s site says, “These works contemplate the dynamics of community and belonging while negotiating access and viewership.”

Interestingly Critch writes a response to Macdonald. She thanks him for this work and for discussing what it means to ‘belong’ as someone who is part Settler and part Indigenous - struggles with whether you are appropriating or remembering your culture, not knowing the right moment to participate, and feeling guilty for having your status card when others have had theirs revoked. She says, “I remember saying that I was Mi’kmaw, but I did not know the language or songs but I was there to listen and learn. I remember that was followed by somebody saying “We’re all learning too”. That is one of the most comforting things that anybody has ever said to me.” This is interesting for me because I grew up with many students who experienced similar struggles.


Emily Critch has also created some works of art with both Indigenous and English Settler names which try to make sense of and reflect upon her relationship to her two ancestries and has written accompanying pieces for a few exhibitions, including one called “Reprise”.

Why she is important to me:

I have a deep interest in Emily’s work as she is a woman who grew up in my hometown of Corner Brook. My mother taught her painting and my father taught her partner philosophy. Corner Brook is a very interesting place when it comes to considering Indigenous issues. There are a large number of Mi'kmaw people. Unlike in other parts of the country, there has been much integration between the White Settlers and the Indigenous peoples. In a way this is a positive thing as Indigenous people are much more a part of society and so are more accepted and considered. But, at the same time, there is always the question of who is truly ‘Indigenous,’ and who is not.

And in the eyes of the government, the lines that are drawn are not always how people in communities see them. These lines can lead to loss of rights and many other issues. Emily's work, which explores her intersectionality and the complicated relationship she has with it, seems to parallel the struggle of many who I grew up with. I feel honored to be connected to someone like Emily who grew up in the small town of Corner Brook, who has done what she loves, and who, through her work, has been able to bring to the world her understanding of the issues many face in my community.


Qalipu Mi'kmaw Chief Brendan Mitchell - does not 'look Indigenous'