Musée d’art de Joliette

Selected by the artist Catherine Boivin, the Centre d’amitié autochtone de Lanaudière, and the Musée d’art de Joliette, a new mural by Meky Ottawa will occupy the MAJ’s entrance for the next two years.

As an extension of the Musée’s previous murals: Mackwisiwin [Strength] by Eruoma Awashish, Mirwatisiwin [Healing] by Marie-Claude Néquado and Ke miritan [What I will give you] by Catherine Boivin, created in memory of Joyce Echaquan, this new work now completes the circle of the medicine wheel, a fundamental symbol of Indigenous Peoples’ cyclical vision of life.

The title, Kiwetinok, means “North” in Atikamekw. Associated with the spirit world, this cardinal point represents night, but also the process of returning and the wind as a carrier of memories. The nocturnal sky opening over the forest, with its constellations of stars, evokes those who have returned to the North, our lost loved ones.

At the centre of the composition, four eagles spread their wings, suggesting the four directions of the medicine wheel and the interdependence that connects them. In Atikamekw culture, the eagle represents strength and acts as a messenger between humans and spirits. Capable of soaring very high in the sky, it takes a broad and knowing view of the world.

Through her mural, Meky Ottawa pays tribute to the deceased and invites us to reflect on mental health. Movement and light travel through the work like invisible pathways that connect beings to each other and to the land, bringing resilience and hope.

The mural was unveiled on October 3, 2026, on the occasion of the opening of the Musée d’art de Joliette’s fall programming.

Ki orapamewok Catherine Boivin, Centre d’amitié autochtone ota Lanaudière kaie Musée d’art ota Joliette Meky Ottawa kitci ocitaritci ke acterik ota opimetak e ici pitikaniwonik Musée, nicwa pipona irikik kata acteriw.

Kecpin kanawapatcikaterik ka ki pe acterik kewirawaw otananik atikamekw iskwewok : Eruoma Awashish Mackwisiwin [La force], Marie-Claude Néquado Mirwatisiwin [La guérison] kaie Catherine Boivin Ke miritan [Ce que je vais te donner] kitci mikawerimokw Joyce Echaquan, mitowi e pe nta kictatc Meky e aicirowetanarik e kanawapatcikatek pimatisiwin.

Nord icinikatcikateriw, Kiwetinok kirano kit itanano e nehirowimoikw. Kiwetinok ekote e taciketcik ka ki matcatcik, Kiwetinok e mamitoneritamokw, e tipiskak ki wapatenano, taci e ici koski kiweikw. Kiwetinok, mocak kitci mikawiikw. Nokoniw e atcakociskarik notcimik ki mikawerimananowok ka ki koski kiwetcik kiwetinok, ka ki sakihokok.

Nictowitc, newiriwa mikisiwa e mireritci, cenamiriwa otatakona mitowi mikawaskemomakan e newok e aicirowetanak e kanawapatcikatek pimatisiwin. E kanawapamakaniwitc mikisiw, mackowisiwin wapatcikatew, wir kaie ka iciwotaketc aimihewiniw. Kackitaw kitci icatc micta ocpimik, micta miro wapatam, misiwe wapatam.

Wapatariwew Meky Ottawa e ici kicterimatc ka ki matcaritci, nataweritam kitci mamitoneritcikaterik wiak itamatcihowiniw. Nokoniw e ki aitasinahak mitowiriw pimatisiwiniw, ki itapikecinano tapickotc kaskina, ki itapikecinano askik, ki itapikecinano ka ki matcatcik. Nokosiriwa atcakoca e wasisoritci, mitowi ka ki matcatcik e wasisotcik, kaie kirano ki wasisonano. E wactek, ki mackowisinano, ki ka ki pasoweritenano.

Tapickotc kaskina ki otamirotawok Centre d’amitié autochtone ota Lanaudière kaie Musée d’art ota Joliette kitci acterik oheriw ka ki ocitaritci anahwe Meky.

Micta mikwetc itewok ka otamirotcik MAJ otenariw kaie kaskina ka witcihiweritci kitci nokotakaniwonik nehirowisiwa ka ocitaritci. E ki ici pe pakitanamiritci otenariw, ka ki pe ocitatcik kewirawaw atikamekw iskwewok otananik kaie Centre d’amitié autochtone ota Lanaudière, ekote e otci nokok tapickotc otamirowin, kitci nokonik otirisowiniwaw nehirowisiwok ekote ketin e ici otamirotatc Musée esko 2020.