Jaida Grey Eagle: tókša | I Will See You Again

Courtesy of Jaida Grey Eagle

Jaida Grey Eagle
tókša | I Will See You Again

Curated by Caitlyn Bird
Presented by the Doris McCarthy Gallery

August 17, 2026 – July 31, 2027
Instructional Centre Atrium, University of Toronto Scarborough

tókša | I Will See You Again presents beaded works and photography by Jaida Grey Eagle, an Oglala Lakota artist from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Created in relation to her homeland and community, this exhibition brings together cyanotype photographs and beaded earrings that in unison, reflect Grey Eagle’s relationship to land, culture, and storytelling. Grounded in lived experience, and motivated to reclaim visual sovereignty, Grey Eagle overrides a long history of photographic misrepresentation of Lakota communities. Through tókša | I Will See You Again, Grey Eagle presents images and beadwork rooted in belonging, while honouring the enduring legacy of her ancestors.

Embracing the power of the sun, the cyanotype process harnesses light to create ethereal images that evoke a sense of spirituality and memory. Grey Eagle’s focus on plants and medicines reflect their sacred role as sources of healing. Through this spiritual relationship to land, Grey Eagle’s work offers a way to engage with these traumatic histories, while celebrating the beauty. Her handmade beaded earrings embody living tradition, carrying cultural knowledge through contemporary artistic practice.

The exhibition takes its title from the Lakota word tókša, meaning “I will see you again.” Rather than saying goodbye, the phrase expresses the expectation of return, not only as a physical act, but an ongoing process of remembering, reconnecting, and reclamation. The land remembers Grey Eagle as much as she remembers it.

Courtesy of Jaida Grey Eagle

Public Programs

All programming is free and everyone is welcome. Contact dmg.utsc@utoronto.ca with any accommodation needs.

Artist Talk by Jaida Grey Eagle
Wednesday, October 21, 3:30 – 5pm
Instructional Centre atrium, University of Toronto Scarborough
Registration required

Curatorial Talk & Beading Workshop with Caitlyn Bird
Thursday, November 12, 12 – 2pm
Instructional Centre atrium, University of Toronto Scarborough
Registration required

tókša | I Will See You Again is on view in the atrium of the Instructional Centre at the University of Toronto Scarborough. The Instructional Centre is located at 1095 Military Trail and is publicly accessible Monday to Saturday, 8am – 11pm. The Instructional Centre is wheelchair accessible. Please see the DMG website for more visitor information, including directions and parking rates.

Doris McCarthy Gallery
University of Toronto Scarborough
1265 Military Trail
Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4
416.287.7007
dmg.utsc@utoronto.ca
dorismccarthygallery.utoronto.ca

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Image Descriptions:
1. A cyanotype photograph of leafy plants. The plants are silhouetted in white against a deep blue background, with random spotty swaths of pink, red, and light blue atop.
2. A compilation of photographs, each featuring a set of colourful, intricately-beaded earrings set against various backgrounds.