Article content

A former Remai Modern art gallery board member says he left the board because meetings were dominated by two city councillors and he felt like a “token” Indigenous representative.

Dion Tootoosis said he stopped attending meetings in November because he felt the councillors who sit on the board were exerting too much control.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Former art gallery trustee says he quit over 'control' by councillors Back to video

Tootoosis, an educator who works at the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, said he joined the board midway through 2017, but noticed a shift when the gallery opened in October 2017.

“That’s when the conversation really changed and the energy really changed to monopolization by city council members,” Tootoosis said in an interview. “Every conversation was dominated by city council in every respect.”

The 14-member board of trustees has included two city council members dating back to the Remai Modern’s predecessor, the Mendel Art Gallery.

Coun. Cynthia Block and Coun. Mairin Loewen have served on the board since 2016; in December, city council extended their terms until 2020.