FANCY DANCE COIN DESIGNER GARRISON GARROW

It's a hobby for Garrison Garrow, and his efforts are renowned.

Garrow, of Akwesasne, designed the new Royal Canadian Mint collector coin ($30), which was unveiled recently at McGill University in Montreal.

Garrow, 44, lives in Ottawa, where he's a photographer and historian.

The McGill Reporter newspaper recently told the story of Kanien'keha:ka artist Garrow and the development of the the Royal Canadian Mint's Fancy Dance coin. Thenew coin depicting an Indigenous dancer was unveiled as part of McGill's First People's House 17th annual Powwow.

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Akwesasne's Garrowdesigns Royal Canadian Mint coin(https://www.standard-freeholder.com/news/local-news/akwesasnes-garrow-designs-royal-canadian-mint-coin/wcm/22096933-99c0-4531-a343-6ca768e4c5c2)

The vividly coloured silver coin depicts the pageantry of the Fancy Dance, a modern Indigenous art form that is a powerful expression of Indigenous pride and heritage.Fittingly, the unveiling ceremony took place just moments before the opening of First Peoples' House 17th Annual Pow Wow.

A male dancer dominates the 2-ounce coin's face, with finely detailed engraving adding a sense of movement and splashes of colour highlighting the intricate nature of hisregalia. As the image's creator Kanien'keha:ka artist Garrison Garrow, explained to the crowd at the unveiling, details of the regalia have been pulled from variousIndigenous people's traditions, from the Thunderbird of the Plains peoples to the Iroquois design on the apron.

"It was a difficult challenge to do this design because it is a Fancy Dance and there is a lot of energy in that dance and there is a lot of power," said Garrow. "I wanted totry and capture some of that in a static image. I hope that I did that."

Mark Miller, Member of Parliament for Ville-Marie-Le Sud-Ouest-Île-des-Sœurs, praised the coin for its craftsmanship but also for its symbolism. "Federalgovernments banned this type of regalia that people wear so proudly today. It's being brought back from a very dark place," said Miller. "Our governments, our people, werecomplicit in putting it down. Today is but a symbolic gesture - but a very important one - to keep shining the light on the beauty in the traditions that keeps the culture, thelanguage and the lives of people vibrant."

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Royal Canadian Mint celebrates fancy dancers with new coin(https://reporter.mcgill.ca/royal-canadian-mint-celebrates-fancy-dancers-with-new-coin/)