““The Corn Husker” is an example of how Johnson uses her voice as a poet to represent the Native voice, and is able to convey both the harsh realities and injustices that Native peoples were facing during the Confederation period. Johnson expresses the loss of territory and culture.”

“A woman harvesting is what links this poem to food but in a metaphorical way. This poem tells the story of how the native peoples have been stripped of their land, and nobody hears what they have to say, or helps them when they are struggling. There is an eerie feeling that what once was, was far better than what their life is now. The woman harvesting is an image of hunger, since there isn’t much to gather from the fields as their land has been taken from them. ”

“This curatorial project aims to show the oppression and challenges felt by women shown through the hands of a female artist. First Nations women have faced a lot of adversity. Looking at the perseverance of First Nations women historically gives a greater understanding how it started and where it is going. It looks at the role of the female artist, and how they took control of their image and established their role. The exhibition also looks at how female First Nations artists in Canada continue to pronounce their role as artists, and show the perseverance through various oppressions. Overall, this exhibition aims to show the role of the female artist, where male artists at the turn of the century used them; in contrast female artist shed light on their role, which translates into the perseverance of female First Nations Artists. They used to be “Women in the Shadows”, now they emerge from them. ”

“During the Confederation period, Johnson wrote the poem “The Corn Husker,” which uses corn as a metaphorical representation of the woman. The female subject is described as a survivor, facing “ill-fashioned fields” which represent the poor conditions in which she and her fellow aboriginal people are fighting for survival. The poem outlines the strength and resilience of this native woman. Demidas’ collection entitled “Women in the Shadows” connects to the themes of perseverance and strength.”

“The selected images echo the resilience and strength of the woman in the poem. The fact that the art was done by female artists relates to the art history student’s thesis on how “female artists took control of their image” and how gender roles were established. ”