Ka'satstenhera – Unity of Hearts and Minds

Important

• Your ticket will be valid until 6:45 PM. This ensures all guests have enough time to enter the Theatre and be seated by our ushers.
• A recording of the talk will be available on our YouTube channel following the event.
• Our ushers seat guests beginning from the front rows of the Theatre toward the back.

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Title

Ka'satstenhera – Unity of Hearts and Minds

Talk Abstract

Join artist Jay Havens for a talk exploring local Haudenosaunee cultural and art history, and the theme of Ka'satstenhera – Unity of Hearts and Minds.

This talk will place the artwork created by Jay for the Perimeter Institute into context, discussing Haudenosaunee history here on the Haldimand tract, including contemporary Haudenosaunee culture on Six Nations. The talk will describe the history of the Woodland school of art, as well as discussing the Indigenous Group of Seven, to show the development of the art style that Jay works in.

Speaker Bio

Jay Havens (Mohawk Bear Clan, Six Nations) is a multi-media 2Spirit artist, educator, and collaborator of Kanien’keha:ka (Haudenosaunee) and Scottish Canadian ancestry. Havens was born on lands known as the Haldimand Tract and raised on Unceded Sto:lo and Musqueam lands close to Vancouver, Canada. They are a scenographer with experience in site-specific performance and installation, murals, projection and mixed media artworks for galleries, museums, and public spaces. Havens’ practice embraces re-learning the ways of Onkwehon:we (original peoples) and their research has focused on Indigenous Methods of Knowledge-building applied to creative and logistical processes of scenography.

Jay has a BFA from the University of British Columbia, Department of Theatre, Film and Creative Writing and MFA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design. Over their 19-year career project highlights include projection mapping a Haudenosaunee longhouse on Stratford City Hall, a floating artwork in the Toronto harbour called The Peacemaker’s Canoe and a mural on the windows of the Vancouver Opera house. Several of Jay's sculptural weavings can be found in the collections at the New York State Museum and he is currently designing public artworks for sites throughout Southern Ontario.

Jay can also be found collaborating to design sets and costumes for professional stage companies such as Caravan Farm, Centaur or Axis Theatre and is excited to be joining the University of Waterloo, Department of Communication Arts in January 2023 as Assistant Professor teaching scenography and design thinking courses. Havens is a member of The Associated Designers of Canada (IATSE 659) and CARFAC.

He is a proud citizen of the Mohawk, Bear Clan from Six Nations of the Grand River.

Tickets

Registration to attend the event in person will open on January 12, 2026 at 9:00 AM EDT. Tickets are free and must be reserved through Eventbrite, as there is no on-site box office.

TICKETS ARE VALID UNTIL 6:45 PM THE DAY OF THE EVENT.

Perimeter Institute is committed to creating a respectful, inclusive, and safe environment for everyone. All event attendees are expected to uphold these values. Harassment, discrimination, or any form of misconduct will not be tolerated and will be addressed promptly and appropriately. Thank you for helping us ensure a positive experience for all.