Oct 13, 2026 · 21 min · 10 segments
The artist Kent Monkman is known for challenging the way Indigenous people have been represented over the centuries in Western art – often flipping the script so that Indigenous stories are front and…
Kent MonkmanGuest
Tom PowerHost
There were a few things I had in mind, but, uh, eventually it, uh, settled on beavers because that whole project there of remediating the flow of the Don River, uh, restoring that whole area, um, restoring the ecology of that whole area, which is, uh, basically a toxic waste dump.
Um, and but mostly it was about the flow of water, so that really got me thinking about, about beavers.
And, um, I also took inspiration from an engraving from the 19th century, which, um, I-- when I first saw it, I thought it was pretty humorous, and I included it, included it in some of my paintings and drawings, and, uh, it looked like a beaver condo.
So I thought with the, uh, Toronto skyline, with all these condos being the backdrop, that this beaver condo, uh, would look pretty great down there at the waterfront.
Um, you know, I wanted to create, uh, an array of different characters doing different things, playing music, eating, feasting.
I think, you know, you kinda have to fall in love with your art as you make it.
And, uh, these, uh, all of these beavers, uh, evolved, uh, at first as drawings.
I mean, all Indigenous people from North America have a, have a connection to beavers.
So I think, um, you know, there are stories of beavers probably in every Indigenous culture.
There were a few things I had in mind, but, uh, eventually it, uh, settled on beavers because that whole project there of remediating the flow of the Don River, uh, restoring that whole area, um, restoring the ecology of that whole area, which is, uh, basically a toxic waste dump.
Um, and but mostly it was about the flow of water, so that really got me thinking about, about beavers.
And, um, I also took inspiration from an engraving from the 19th century, which, um, I-- when I first saw it, I thought it was pretty humorous, and I included it, included it in some of my paintings and drawings, and, uh, it looked like a beaver condo.
So I thought with the, uh, Toronto skyline, with all these condos being the backdrop, that this beaver condo, uh, would look pretty great down there at the waterfront.
Um, you know, I wanted to create, uh, an array of different characters doing different things, playing music, eating, feasting.
I think, you know, you kinda have to fall in love with your art as you make it.
And, uh, these, uh, all of these beavers, uh, evolved, uh, at first as drawings.
I mean, all Indigenous people from North America have a, have a connection to beavers.
So I think, um, you know, there are stories of beavers probably in every Indigenous culture.
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