Indians Paying Homage to Spirit of the Chaudiere

c1931

Oil on canvas

Credit: Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1973-16-1

Copyright Expired

c1933

66.2 cm x 50.1 cm

Watercolour over pencil

Credit: Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1972-26-796

Copyright: Expired  

Provenance

Publication References

• Guillet, Edwin C. 1933 Early life in Upper Canada

• Guillet, Edwin and Mary.  The Pathfinders of North America.  Toronto, Macmillan, 1939. 304p. Illus. p. 193

• Ontario Society of Artists.   Eightieth:  annual spring exhibition of the Ontario Society of Artists.  Toronto, Art Gallery of Toronto, 1952. n.p.  Illus. ([illustration] cat. #5  “Indians paying homage to the spirit of Chaudiere”)

• McKay, Marylin.  “Canadian historical murals 1895-1939:  material progress, morality and the ‘disappearance’ of native people.”  In Journal of Canadian Art History, volume 15 no. 1, 1992, p. 63-81.  Illus.

  p. 70  -  Homage to the Chaudiere    [Figure 6]

  Building the Rideau Canal  {Figure 7]

  [title unknown – natives and a white man – from a photo in RAIC Journal, June 1929, p. 209]  [Figure 8]

  p. 71  - “Murals by C.W. Jefferys (1869-1951), installed in the writing room of the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa in 1930, also demanded recognition of the superiority of European technology and waterways management.  Depicting the building of the Rideau Canal, one panel represents a Native offering tobacco in ritualistic homage to the spirit of the Chaudiere Falls (fig. 6). [note27]  In another, English soldiers use mechanical equipment and massive blocks of cut stone to build a canal which will control the water for commercial purposes (fig. 7).  [Note 28] The viewer might quickly supposed that the Native’s unscientific attempt to control nature would result in failure, while that of the Europeans would produce the desired effect. The superiority of European trade and commerce provided the subject matter for many murals.  In 1928 Jefferys and Challener produced two panels (present location unknown) for the Manoir Richelieu, a French chateau-style hotel at Murray Bay, Quebec.  [note 29] On both sides of an archway of the central lounge they depicted the arrival of Europeans in the Murray Bay area.  In one panel Native people sit on the ground, at the edge of the forest, offering furs to the French (fig. 8).  While one Frenchman makes the trade, others are preparing timber for construction.  In the second panel, kilted immigrants from the British Isles have arrived;  the Natives –  and the French – have disappeared.”

  p. 79  -  “27  The murals are now in the collection of the National Archives of Canada.  See  R. STACEY, C.W. Jefferys (Ottawa:  National Gallery of Canada, Canadian Artists Series 10, 1985), 20, fig.3.”

  “ 28  F.H. BRIGDEN, ‘Exhibition of Fine and Graphic Arts, Canadian National Exhibition – 1930,’ Journal of the Royal

  Architectural Institute of Canada (Oct. 1930):  350-351;  

  LISMER, Mural Painting, 130.”

  “29  ‘Decorative Paintings for the Manoir Richelieu,’ Journal of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (June 1929): 208-209.”

• McKay, Marylin J.  A national soul:  Canadian mural painting, 1860s-1930s. Montreal, McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2002.  304 p.  Illus.

  
  p. 143-144  -  “Murals installed by Charles Jefferys in the writing room of the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa in 1930 also called for recognition of the superiority of the British waterway technology.  One panel represents a Native man offering tobacco in ritualistic homage to the spirit of the local Chaudiere Falls… In another, English soldiers use        mechanical equipment and massive cut-stone blocks to build Ottawa’s Rideau Canal and control water for commercial purposes… the viewer might quickly suppose that the Native’s unscientific attempt to control nature would result in failure, while that of the British would produce the desired effect.”
  
  p. 145  -  [Natives and Chaudiere Falls], 1931 [Building of Rideau Canal], 1931
  
  

• Indian Country Today Media Network [ICTMN].  All-call for entries into Asinabka Film and Media Arts Festival.  April 17, 2012. 

  2 p.  Illus.

  indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/all-call-for-entries-into-asinabka-film-and media-arts-festival-108849

  accessed 8 March 2013.

  p. 1  -  “Indians Paying Homage to the Spirit of Chaudiere.”

  p. 2 explains name of festival and significance of Chaudiere falls.

• Boucher, Louis N.  “Chaudiere Falls in the Outaouais Region.”  In Encyclopedia of French cultural heritage in North America.  11 p.  Illus. http://www.ameriquefrancaise.org/en/ Accessed November 11, 2013.