Date: Wednesday, March 19th, 2025

Time: 12PM to 2PM ET / 9AM-11AM PT / 10AM-12PM MT / 11AM-1PM CT

Virtual via ZOOM

This session will not be recorded.

ASL interpretation and auto-captioning will be provided.

FREE to attend

For questions regarding this session, please contact Flora, flora@carfacontario.ca

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council and the Government of Ontario, and the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.

Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. Nous remercions le Conseil des arts de l'Ontario et le gouvernement de l'Ontario, et la Ville de Toronto par l'intermédiaire du Conseil des arts de Toronto de leur soutien financier.

Artist & Lawyer Bios

Claire Johnston(she/they) is a Métis beadworker based in her Homeland of Winnipeg, MB. Claire's family has scrip in St.Andrews and St. Clements, Manitoba and some of her family names include Johnston, Richards, Moore/Moar, Truthwaite, Brown and Thomas.

Claire has worked with her hands since she was a child, learning leather working, woodworking and other skills from her father Roy Johnston. She is currently advancing her bead working skills under the mentorship of Jennine Krauchi as part of the Mentoring Artists for Women's Arts 2022/2023 Foundation Mentorship Program. Her work has been exhibited at both the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art in Vancouver, BC and Tangled Arts in Toronto, ON.

Claire's beadwork practice is informed by the strengthening of relationships -- with herself, her kin and the natural world. As an Autistic beadworker, her love of bright colours and attention to detail allow for vibrant and intricate pieces. Claire believes strongly in "cripping" the arts and expanding eccessibility for Disabled and low-income Indigenous artists to thrive. She is a steering committee member for the Critical Autism Summit that will take place in Manitoba in 2024, where she will host beading circles to facilitate discussions on decolonizing understandings of Autism and neurodiversity.

Claire is a novice hide tanner and enjoys learning traditional skills alongside her kin in Red River Echoes, a Métis collective based in Manitoba. Claire is a member of the MMF Two-Spirit Michif Local and volunteers with Agoojin Volleyball Club.

IG

Sage Paul is an urban Denesuliné tskwe based in Toronto and a member of English River First Nation. Sage is an award-winning artist & designer and a recognized leader of Indigenous fashion, craft and textiles. Her work centres family, sovereignty and resistance for balance. Sage is also founding collective member and Artistic Director ofIndigenous Fashion Week Toronto.

Her art and design practice is conceptual, creating narrative-driven garments, crafts and costumes for artistic presentation, fashion, film, TV and theatre. Sage Paul is a sought after and artistically diverse designer; She is creatively curious and informed, with excellent and resourceful craftsmanship. Sage has a strong, broad understanding for how she and her audiences interact with and feel fashion.

Some of Sage’s art and design has shown at the Art Gallery of Ontario’s First Thursday, Harbourfront Centre, The Centre for Craft, Creativity and Design (North Carolina, USA), and a curated program at Western Canada Fashion Week by Ociciwan Contemporary Art Collective. She has designed costumes for Kent Monkman, Darlene Naponse, Danis Goulet and more. Sage speaks about Indigenous fashion including engagements at Canada House (London, UK), The Walrus Magazine, Ryerson University, Toronto Women’s Fashion Week and South Africa Fashion Week. Most recently, Sage presented her collection “Giving Life" at Festival de Mode & Design (Montreal) and Ohtaapiahki Fashion Week (Calgary).

Sage received the Design Exchange RBC Emerging Designer Award (2017) and was recognized as a Woman of Influence (2018), a Change Maker by the Toronto Star (2018), top 100 talented & driven Canadian women by Flare Magazine (2017), a Toronto “cool girl" by Vogue (2018), and was honoured by the Ontario Minister of the Status of Women as a trailblazing woman who is transforming Ontario (2017). In 2019, Sage was nominated for the Virginia and Myrtle Cooper Award in Costume Design and the Indigenous Arts Award, both at the Ontario Arts Council.

Sage sits on the Ryerson School of Fashion Advisory Board, sits on the Board of Directors for Red Pepper Spectacle Arts and is developing an Indigenous Fashion elective course for George Brown College.

sagepaul.com| IG

Ariadni Athanassiadis is the founder, lead IP attorney, and patent agent of Kyma Professional Corporation. She applies relationship and learning centered approaches to client service and counselling to help you make decisions, be resourceful and maintain the integrity of your creative enterprise. You can connect with Ariadni at Kyma Professional Corporation or through LinkedIn

kymalaw.com | LI

Sara Mainville is the Managing Partner at JFK Law LLP and is a Toronto-based lawyer. Prior to this she joined a national Indigenous Rights law firm in April 2016. She became a Partner at the firm in January 2018. Sara was elected as Chief of Couchiching in early March 2014 with a 2 year mandate. As a practicing lawyer, Sara has a particular research interest in Anishinaabe Inakonigaawin (inherent law and rights of her people). She also has expertise in First Nation Cannabis law creation as well as Indigenous approaches to intellectual property, copyright and entertainment law.

She has assisted many First Nations in dispute resolution with external governments and companies. Specialties: Anishinaabe law, Aboriginal law, inherent jurisdiction, mediation and negotiations. Sara Mainville has a certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution and an Advanced Negotiations Certificate from Harvard University and she has taken training in mediation. Presently, Sara practices as much in her own Indigenous constitutionalism as she does in Canadian Law.

jfklaw.ca | LI

Host Bios

Indigenous Curatorial Collective / Collectif des commissaires autochtones (ICCA) is an Indigenous-led non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and connecting fellow Indigenous curators, artists, writers, academics, and professionals through national gatherings, advocacy, and professional development opportunities. Our mission is to cultivate strengthened relationships between Indigenous peoples and communities through Indigenous art platforms.

icca.art | IG | FB | YT | V | LI

The Indigenous Student Centre (ISC) at OCAD University serves as a central hub supporting Indigenous students throughout their academic journey. The Centre honors the diversity of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives while creating space for students to connect with culture, community, and essential resources. Through our programming, we strive to foster an inclusive environment where Indigenous students can thrive creatively and academically.

ocadu.ca| FB | IG

Canadian Artists' Representation/le front des artistes canadiens (CARFAC) Ontario is the association of visual and media artists in Ontario. Our vision is for vibrant, equitable, and sustainable communities in which we as artists are properly recognized for the role we play. As a Provincial Arts Service Organization, CARFAC Ontario serves and responds to the needs of our members, and visual artists across the province.

CARFAC Ontario is a regional affiliate under the umbrella of CARFAC National. Additional services, programs and projects are carried out by the individual affiliate organizations. By joining your provincial affiliate organization, you receive automatic membership in CARFAC National.

carfacontario.ca | FB | IG | Bluesky

For nearly 40 years, Artists' Legal Advice Services (ALAS) has worked to empower Ontario's creative community with access to summary legal advice, information, and education. ALAS is run by a group of volunteers who are entertainment and intellectual property lawyers, fellow creators, and law students. They generously donate their time to help those who may not be able to access more expensive alternatives. ALAS assists creators in three main ways:

• our educational sessions
• our bi-weekly legal clinic
• our legal database.

alasontario.ca | FB | IG | X