Cath Pound

The Group of Seven redefined Canadian art in the 1920s by developing a modern visual language rooted in the country’s wilderness, gaining international recognition after the 1924 British Empire Exhibition. Their work helped shape a national identity but also reflected an era that excluded Indigenous presence due to government policies. In the 1970s, the Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporated emerged to challenge artistic marginalisation and assert Indigenous artistic identity. Canadian institutions now display Indigenous and non-Indigenous art together, recognising the foundational role of Indigenous culture while preserving the legacy of the Group of Seven as icons of Canada’s natural landscape.