Celina Yellowbird named new Curatorial Assistant, Indigenous Cultures at the McCord Stewart Museum

Montreal, Wednesday, July 24, 2024 – The McCord Stewart Museum is pleased to welcome Celina Yellowbird as Curatorial Assistant, Indigenous Cultures. This new 2-year position is made possible thanks to the support of TD Bank Group, through the TD Ready Commitment. Celina will support Jonathan Lainey, Curator, Indigenous Cultures, in the management, dissemination and development of this collection, and will participate in developing standards and practices that support the Museum’s implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). She will also be responsible for strengthening relations with Indigenous communities and facilitating access to the collection in order to raise awareness of Indigenous perspectives and knowledge. She is due to take up her new position on July 29.

“It’s an honour to be able to work at the McCord Stewart Museum. I can’t wait to get to work on promoting the principles of reconciliation and decolonization. I’m excited to see what we can achieve,” says Celina Yellowbird.

“Celina is joining our team at just the right time. Building on many years of work to make Indigenous perspectives visible, the Museum is undertaking several projects to make the collection relevant and accessible to Indigenous nations, while ensuring that its actions are in line with the calls to action and recommendations of Canadian and international organizations. Celina’s contribution will go a long way towards making these projects a reality,” says Jonathan Lainey.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Celina to the team. Her contributions to research, documentation and programming around the Indigenous Cultures collection will help us boost our efforts and broaden our scope of action in terms of decolonization and reconciliation. We’re grateful to TD Bank Group for its decisive support not only for the Museum’s mission, but also for the training of the next generation of museum experts,” says Anne Eschapasse, President and CEO of the Museum.

“TD is proud to support Le Musée McCord Stewart and we’re thrilled to congratulate Celina on her appointment as Curatorial Assistant, Indigenous Cultures, “said Laurence Levy, Senior Vice-President, Branch Banking, Quebec Region, TD Canada Trust. “Through the TD Ready Commitment, we’re working to support opportunities for emerging professionals from Indigenous communities that encourage reflection on our shared history and contribute to preserving and celebrating arts and culture from Indigenous Peoples.”

Celina Yellowbird

Celina Yellowbird is Nehiyawak and French. She belongs to the Alexander First Nation, located 40 minutes outside Edmonton. She studied at the University of Alberta, graduating with a B.A. in Native Studies in 2023. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Native Studies. Her master’s project focuses on missing and murdered Indigenous and two-spirit women and girls in the Prairies.