Damien Eagle Bear: when you see it

How do we see the world and how do we come to understand it? The significance of Indigenous knowledges and their deep relationship to the land should come as no surprise. However, the appreciation of these ancient sciences and ways of knowing continues to be minimized despite having been the backbone of survival on this land since time out of memory.

when you see it contemplates a personal and cultural relationship to the land. Audiences are asked to confront their own comprehensions and connections to the land through these portraits of significant areas in Blackfoot territory.

Drawing from his experience as a documentary filmmaker, Damien Eagle Bear challenges the formal standards of the medium to embrace a Blackfoot gaze of the land.

Damien Eagle Bear is Contemporary Calgary’s 2026-2027 Ksahkomiitapiiks resident artist.