He may reside in Ontario and be a member of the Métis Nation there, but Jason Baerg’s heart – belongs to Saskatchewan.
“I’m Indigenous – Indigenous from Saskatchewan.”- Métis artist – Jason Baerg
“I grew up knowing I was Métis in the Métis community. I was raised with my mom and my aunts in the West Flats in Prince Albert. I moved to Ontario when I was fifteen to live with my dad, go to high school, and for safety reasons. Today, I am openly two-spirit.”
This year, the Métis artist renewed his Métis Nation–Saskatchewan citizenship, something he was excited to share with us just three days after he received it in the mail.
“I speak through the lens of my Indigenous ancestors, and my traditional homelands are in Saskatchewan. I embrace it and am grateful to have citizenship again.”
Jason has always been engaged in the Métis community but returning to the province this past summer, sent him on a whole new quest.
“Aren’t we all on a healing journey? The healing work that we do for ourselves affects our families. I grew up knowing I was Indigenous person, - there were a lot of things - I was interested in, and as I work in the Indigenous community, I think about respectfully engaging and being in a space where I’m relatable, my values are really aligned to what I want to be doing with my time in life.”
At 55, Jason is an accomplished visual artist, producer, and educator and seems to be at a place in life that brings him a sense of contentment.
But “Is anyone 100 percent content? You know, there’s still moving targets that we’re aiming at and so as we move forward, we’re trying to do so in an ethical way, in a good way. - it’s awesome because I find my people are reaching back to me for support. I’m connecting with the younger people in my family that need mentorship and support as they develop. It’s incredibly amazing when someone seeks your wisdom for support or direction. It’s validating and it’s good for my heart to do that,” he says.
Jason Baerg has exhibited his work nationally and internationally - and we are fortunate to be able to glimpse into his world. He’s part of a four-artist exhibition at the Art Gallery in Regina entitled ‘Fashion Show’. Admission is free and the show runs until November 14.
Join Jason on his journey back to his roots. Find out more about becoming a Métis Nation–Saskatchewan MN–S Citizen today at: https://mns.ca/metis-citizens/citizenship-registry