Face to Face: A Late Summer Reflection
This summer, I studied debating and presentation skills at l’Université de Montréal. Before we viewed a documentary on the ongoing influence of First Nations culture on French settlers in Quebec, our professor asked us what words came to mind to describe members of our Indigenous population. The picture was not pretty: poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, and other problems.
The precarious state of organizations which help those without shelter in Montreal, of whom members of First Nations constitute a significant number, is front-page news this summer. St Michael’s Mission is struggling to secure sufficient funding to continue its ministry, while The Open Door was confronted with resistance when it announced its relocation to the Plateau area. Interestingly, a woman who welcomes its arrival said that what some opponents fear is not the clientele, but those who abuse them by selling drugs and making usurious loans. Is there no end to the sufferings that vulnerable people endure?
In this sombre context, I invited a friend from the parish to l’écomusée du fier monde, to an exhibit entitled Nomads or Itinerants: People in Danger. It features portraits created by André Michel of homeless Natives in Montreal. The works are large, and are hung so that the viewer can make eye contact with their subjects. There are at least two depictions of each person, of which one is a drawing and the other is often a painting in colour. The drawings are done in ochre pastel on a white canvas. Only the individual is shown, without any background details, sometimes holding a cigarette, a bottle of beer or an empty coffee cup. Their bodies are rendered in broad strokes to reveal their posture. By contrast, their facial features are finely rendered. The artist has captured the emotions and the personality of his subjects, which can be interpreted in numerous ways. These are real people, who demand our attention and our respect.
As we stride along the sidewalks and through the Metro stations, it is easy to lose sight of the Amerindians sitting in the midst of the bustle and noise. The work of M. Michel challenges us to regard differently these fellow children of our Creator God, who gather with us under the Red Roof to share food, companion- ship and loving care. Wendy +