Honouring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Day: Bruce County Museum Hosts Artists and Documentary Screening

On May 9, in recognition of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Day, the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre welcomes artists Destiny Roote and Melissa Comyn for a discussion on the opening of the art installation Buffalo Woman, followed by a screening of the CBC’s The Fifth Estate documentary, A Sister’s Promise. 

Buffalo Woman is a powerful art installation that calls upon the spirit of the buffalo — provider, protector, and symbol of survival — to honour those lost and demand justice. Through visual storytelling, traditional materials and community voices, the installation serves as a site of remembrance, reflection and resistance. 

In Indigenous traditions, the Buffalo Woman represents strength, resilience and sacred protection. Yet across Canada, Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people continue to go missing and be murdered at an alarming rate, their absence leaving an unfillable void in their families and communities.  

The installation, which will be on display at the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre from May 1 to 31, is both a tribute and a call to action, urging visitors to acknowledge the ongoing crisis, listen to the stories of those left behind and stand in solidarity for change. Additional art pieces on display accompanying the installation include: 

• Woven sash (Jenna McGuire)
• Tall Dancer Boot (Jenna Parsons, Kuujjuaq)
• Red Buffalo Earrings (Alisha Finch, Whitefish River First Nation, Bear Clan)
• Medicine Bag (Brent Henry) 

Following the artists' talk, guests are invited to a special screening of CBC’s The Fifth Estate Documentary A Sister’s Promise in the Museum’s theatre. The film, guest-hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Connie Walker, investigates the decades-old unsolved murder of Sonya Cywink, whose sister Meggie has taken the search for justice into her own hands — uncovering leads that police overlooked and seeking answers to the mystery of Sonya’s death. A member of the Okanese First Nation, Walker has spent over two decades shedding light on often overlooked stories within Indigenous communities.  
 
Coffee, tea and treats will be provided. This event is free to attend. For full details and registration, visit brucemuseum.ca. 

About Destiny Roote 

Destiny Roote is an Anishinaabe woman from Saugeen First Nation #29, where she was born and raised alongside her two brothers and sister. She is a self-taught fibre artist with a particular passion for crocheting, though she occasionally explores knitting as well. Her favourite crochet style is Amigurumi, which allows her to tap into her inner child and bring a sense of playfulness and joy to her creative process. 

Her artistic work has mostly remained private, shared with close family and friends. Each piece she creates is a deeply personal gesture, often a reflection of how much the recipient means to her. She takes great pride in the care and intention behind every creation. 

About Melissa Comyn 

Melissa is a self-taught artist and lifelong maker who has pursued art throughout her life, drawing deep inspiration from her emotions. After years of painting and sewing separately, Melissa found a new energy in combining the two practices. This natural transition has become the core of her artistic work. She dyes cotton gauze and uses simple stitching to create abstract images or deconstructed landscapes. 

In the early 2000s, Melissa pursued part-time studies at OCAD as a mature student. Her work has since been exhibited in a range of solo, juried, and community shows. 

About Jes Daneluk 

Photography can and often should be used as a tool for cross-pollination across multiple fields, as Jessica strives to achieve in her multi-disciplinary practice. Using photography as a tool to enhance multiple sectors within the arts and social work field, Jessica is a formally trained photographer, working currently as a helper at Kabaeshiwim Respite Women’s Shelter within Saugeen First Nation #29. Her work has always leaned into a focus on women’s rights, power and cultural stances, highlighting specifically ephemera that express the stories of women of the past’s lives and strong societal significance. Born and raised in the fields of Bruce County, Jessica has fluctuated between the countryside and living and working within Toronto, stringing beads across the way, these beads that have now formed threads connecting continents and cultures through their intention. Through these multiple channels of her art & social work, there is hope for connection, valour and veracity. 

About CBC’s The Fifth Estate 

Celebrating its 50th season, CBC’s award-winning documentary program The Fifth Estate brings audiences Canada's top investigative stories, with an established tradition of provocative and fearless journalism. Stream episodes anytime on CBC Gem and YouTube. 

About the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre 

The Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre is situated within the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON). We offer adult and children’s programming, exhibitions, special events and are home to the Bruce County Archives & Research Room. Our mandate is to preserve and make available the documentary heritage of Bruce County. 

For more information, contact: 

Leyla Top 

Marketing Coordinator 

Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre 

ltop@brucecounty.on.ca  

226-909-3189