Tannis Nielsen

Tannis Nielsen is a Danish, Anishnawbe-Red River Métis woman whose maternal grandparents Catherine Boucher and Joseph Monkman were born in the Metis settlements of St. Louis and Halcro district Saskatchewan. Her Mother Jenny aka/Merle Monkman was born in Goldfields Saskatchewan and her Father Paul Nielsen, in Aalborg Denmark. Tannis was born in Red Deer Alberta and has lived in t’koronto for more than 35 years, though she still calls herself a prairie girl.

Tannis has over twenty-five years of professional experience in the arts, cultural and community sectors, and fifteen years teaching at the post-secondary level. As a visual artist Tannis’ practice includes public art, drawing, painting, new media installation, sculpture and performance. Since entering into the academy her research interests have mainly focused on enacting a variety of decolonial methodologies through the study and praxis of an Indigenous Arts, History, Theory, Governance and Pedagogy. In 2012, she expanded her practice toward investigating the relationship of Indigenous science and quantum physics. This investigation is the basis of her most recent installation, titled “mazinbii’igan/a design/a creation” (currently installed at Aga Khan Museum-Spring 2025) co-created, with her Elder/friend Marie Gaudet (Anishnawbe-kwe from Wikwemikong) This fall, on September 30th, as part of The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Tannis installed a permanent public artwork, commissioned by the city of Toronto and Council Fire Native Cultural Center to honor “The Indian Residential School Survivor (IRSS) Legacy Project”. For this, Tannis designed a Metis voyageur canoe titled “Manitou’s Canoe”, which is 36 feet long and made of mirrored stainless steel, which can be viewed at the new “Spirit Garden” located at Toronto City Hall, Nathan Philips Square.

Today – Tannis continues to teach on contract at OCAD-U where she also sists as Chair for The Indigenous Education Council. Though Tannis’ future plans include applying toward the artists residency at CERN, in Geneva Switzerland and manifesting an intergenerational home for her mother and daughter.