For museum directors, curators, exhibition managers and cultural institutions: Powwow! Ohcîwin The Origins is an award-winning Indigenous-led travelling exhibition available for booking inquiries in Alberta, Saskatchewan, across Canada, the United States and internationally.
Created by Patrick and Marrisa Mitsuing of Powwow Times with the Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery (MAG), the exhibition brings together seven complete powwow dance regalia and recorded origin stories shared by knowledge keepers. It centres living cultures, the artistry of regalia makers and the people whose knowledge gives each dance style context.
Planning a future exhibition season? Request current availability and the host-institution prospectus from MAG Exhibitions Curator Kim Verrier at kim.verrier@reddeermuseum.com. Include your institution, city and country, preferred dates, gallery size and the person responsible for exhibitions.
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Share with your team: Download the one-page Powwow! Ohcîwin The Origins museum booking sheet (PDF).
A travelling exhibition about the origins of seven powwow dance styles
Ohcîwin is presented by the originating museum as a Cree word referring to an origin or the telling of where something originated. The exhibition explores the origin stories connected with seven dance styles:
- Men’s Traditional
- Men’s Fancy
- Men’s Chicken
- Men’s Grass
- Women’s Traditional
- Women’s Fancy
- Women’s Jingle
The exhibition began with Patrick and Marrisa Mitsuing’s proposal to MAG in 2018. Development continued through 2019 and 2020 as they travelled the powwow trail, met with knowledge keepers and worked with Indigenous artists on the regalia. According to MAG’s 2024 presentation for The Best in Heritage, 27 Indigenous artists and knowledge keepers from Ontario to British Columbia and as far south as Oklahoma contributed, and 152 regalia pieces were made and collected.
This is not a generalized account of one uniform “Indigenous culture.” The exhibition identifies contributors and dance styles within the scope established by its creators and collaborators. It gives host institutions a substantive, visually strong way to present powwow as a living gathering and artistic practice while keeping Indigenous voices, authorship and relationships central.
Why museums consider Powwow! Ohcîwin The Origins
Indigenous-led curatorial vision
Patrick and Marrisa Mitsuing are the exhibition’s creators and co-curators. The project grew through collaboration with MAG, artists, dancers and knowledge keepers. The development process included payment for artists and knowledge keepers, relationship-building and shared authority rather than treating community participation as a final-stage consultation.
Complete regalia presented with context
Visitors encounter full regalia for seven dance styles, not isolated pieces detached from the dancers and stories that give them meaning. The exhibition connects material artistry with recorded origin stories and the contemporary powwow trail.
Recognized by museum and heritage organizations
- 2022 Alberta Heritage Awareness Award: awarded to Powwow! Ohcîwin The Origins by the Government of Alberta.
- 2022 Richard Martin Exhibition Award: awarded by the Costume Society of America to the exhibition curated by Patrick Mitsuing, Marrisa Mitsuing and Kim Verrier.
- 2023 Robert R. Janes Award for Social Responsibility: awarded by the Alberta Museums Association to MAG in recognition of its institution-wide approach to shared authority, partnership and social responsibility, including work connected with Ohcîwin.
- The Best in Heritage 2024: MAG, Patrick Mitsuing and Marrisa Mitsuing presented their shared-authority work in the international programme held under the patronage of the International Council of Museums.
A record of successful touring
After its original Red Deer presentation, the exhibition travelled to institutions including Musée Héritage Museum in St. Albert, Art Gallery of Grande Prairie, Lloydminster Museum + Archives, and Camrose & District Centennial Museum. Dates and future availability should be confirmed directly with MAG.
Who the exhibition may serve
Powwow! Ohcîwin The Origins may be a strong fit for:
- museums and public galleries building future temporary-exhibition schedules;
- cultural centres and heritage institutions seeking an Indigenous-led touring exhibition;
- university museums and teaching galleries connecting material culture, dress, performance and community-led interpretation;
- tourism and destination institutions developing substantial public programming with local Indigenous relationships;
- Canadian venues in Alberta, Saskatchewan and other provinces; and
- U.S. and international venues prepared to plan cross-border transport, customs, insurance and culturally responsible interpretation.
In the United States, exhibition buyers may search for “Native American traveling exhibitions.” Ohcîwin should still be described first as an Indigenous-led Canadian travelling exhibition and with the specific identities of contributors where those identities have been approved for public use. “Native American” should not be applied as a blanket label to all First Nations or Canadian Indigenous contributors.
“What sets Powwow! Ohcîwin The Origins apart is that it was built upon a decade-long relationship with our Indigenous community.”
Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery presentation, The Best in Heritage 2024
What to request for your internal exhibition review
Every museum has a different approval and budgeting process. The current host-institution prospectus and technical information are available upon request from Kim Verrier. Use the 15-question travelling exhibition hosting checklist for your internal review, then ask the exhibitions team to confirm the following details for your proposed venue and dates:
- available tour windows and preferred booking duration;
- exhibition footprint, minimum ceiling height and layout options;
- object list, casework, mannequins, mounts, labels and audiovisual components;
- number and dimensions of crates, shipping weight and loading requirements;
- environmental, security, fire-safety and pest-management requirements;
- insurance values, loan agreement and condition-reporting process;
- installation and deinstallation schedule, crew requirements and travel;
- power, playback, internet and other technical requirements;
- accessibility features and options for local access planning;
- touring fee, freight, customs, brokerage, tax and other host costs;
- approved marketing assets, image credits and media permissions;
- education resources and options for public or school programming; and
- the roles of MAG, Powwow Times and the host institution in approvals and delivery.
Mid-planning step: Send your preferred dates, venue and gallery specifications to kim.verrier@reddeermuseum.com and request the current technical package. Early contact gives the teams time to assess tour routing, conservation needs, freight and cross-border requirements.
Planning for Alberta and Saskatchewan venues
Regional bookings can benefit from shorter routing and familiarity with prairie museum networks, but every host still needs a formal scope. Confirm transport responsibility, installation staffing, environmental requirements, insurance and public-programming options. A local venue should also determine how the travelling exhibition will connect with its own responsibilities and relationships in the territory where it operates.
Hosting an Indigenous-led exhibition does not replace relationships with local Nations or communities. Local welcome, programming, interpretation and promotion should be planned with appropriate people, clear roles and compensation. The travelling exhibition’s creators can speak to the exhibition’s own scope; they cannot grant authority on behalf of every Indigenous community connected to a host location.
Planning a U.S. or international booking
Cross-border touring requires a longer runway. In addition to the curatorial and facilities review, institutions should identify who will manage customs documentation, temporary import requirements, brokerage, freight, insurance, tax questions and return transport. International hosts may also need approved translation, local accessibility review and advance agreement on how the exhibition will be described in that country.
Do not translate Nation names, Cree terminology, contributor identities or interpretive text without approval. Ask which labels and audiovisual elements may be translated, who reviews that work and how approved spellings and diacritics will be preserved.
Build programming around the exhibition with care
A host may wish to explore talks, school visits, curatorial conversations, demonstrations or other public programmes. Availability, format, fees, travel, cultural scope, recording and media permissions must be confirmed separately. No artist, dancer, knowledge keeper or creator should be advertised before participation is agreed.
Local partnerships should add context and community benefit without repositioning local participants as representatives of the travelling exhibition or asking them to validate work they did not create. Define who speaks for the exhibition, who speaks from local knowledge and who approves each programme description.
Request availability for a future exhibition season
To begin a booking conversation, email MAG Exhibitions Curator Kim Verrier at kim.verrier@reddeermuseum.com with:
- institution name, city, province/state and country;
- preferred dates and acceptable alternate dates;
- gallery dimensions and ceiling height;
- loading access and facility/environment information;
- anticipated audience and programming goals;
- budget range or decision timeline; and
- the lead curatorial, registration or exhibitions contact.
Ask for current availability, the host-institution prospectus and the next technical conversation. For questions about Powwow Times and possible creator-led programming, contact info@powwowtimes.ca. Exhibition availability and formal hosting terms remain subject to confirmation by MAG.
Frequently asked questions
Is Powwow! Ohcîwin The Origins available as a travelling museum exhibition?
Yes. Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery states that the award-winning exhibition is available to tour to museums, galleries and cultural institutions. Current dates and requirements must be confirmed with Exhibitions Curator Kim Verrier.
What does the exhibition include?
The public exhibition record describes seven complete powwow dance regalia and recorded origin stories connected with Men’s Traditional, Men’s Fancy, Men’s Chicken, Men’s Grass, Women’s Traditional, Women’s Fancy and Women’s Jingle. Request the current object list and technical package for exact touring contents.
Who created the exhibition?
Patrick and Marrisa Mitsuing of Powwow Times created and co-curated the exhibition with Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery. Indigenous artists and knowledge keepers from Canada and the United States contributed to its development.
Can museums in the United States book the exhibition?
U.S. institutions may submit an inquiry. Availability, cross-border freight, customs, insurance, venue requirements and costs need to be assessed for the proposed location and dates before a booking can be confirmed.
Can the exhibition tour internationally?
International institutions may inquire. Feasibility depends on routing, conservation and security standards, temporary import and export requirements, insurance, freight, translation and the responsibilities agreed between the originating and host institutions.
How far in advance should a museum inquire?
Contact the exhibitions team as early as possible in your planning cycle, especially for U.S. and international dates. The current tour calendar and required lead time have not been published, so request them directly rather than assuming a fixed window.
Where can our team preview the exhibition?
MAG provides a public virtual tour, regalia gallery and background pages on the official Powwow! Ohcîwin The Origins exhibition page.