In recognition of National Indigenous Peoples Day, Museum London is honoured to present Shifting Focus, a film that powerfully examines themes of identity, cultural reclamation, and creative resistance.
Responding to the lasting impacts of colonialism—particularly the erosion of language and limited access to traditional Indigenous knowledge—Vanessa Dion Fletcher engages with visual and performative practices to foster reconnection. Her work reclaims space for ancestral knowledge and affirms Indigenous presence through meaningful acts of creation and expression.
We invite our community to join us in reflecting on the significance of this day and in celebrating the strength, creativity, and resilience of Indigenous voices. Shifting Focus will be screened indoors at Museum London's Centre at the Forks from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday, June 21, after which it will be projected westward from our rear windows toward the Deshkan Zibii/Thames River and visible outdoors until 11:00 am on Sunday, June 22.
About the artist:
Vanessa Dion Fletcher is a neurodiverse artist from Lenape and Potawatomi. Her family is from Eelūnaapèewii Lahkèewiitt (displaced from Lenapawking) and European settlers. Reflecting on an Indigenous and gendered body with a neurodiverse mind, Dion Fletcher looks for knowledge in materials and techniques. Since 2017, Dion Fletcher has used porcupine quills as a primary medium, creating two-dimensional quillwork pieces and expanding the medium through photography, sculpture and performance. Dion Fletcher will present a solo exhibition, BIG Doll | XWAT Naaniitus, at Art Windsor Essex in November 2025
Image: Vanessa Dion Fletcher, Shifting Focus (still), 2019, video.