“Conversations between our Aunties and those who have benefited from their care are experiences of learning and observation that I witnessed while recording the oral histories of various community members. Although this project started with my thoughts on the significance of Aunties in Montreal’s Black communities, these figures are a phenomenon that belongs to the community at large.

Recorded in two sessions at the Museum in March 2025, with two different intergenerational groups of community members, these ​​​​​​Talk Circles are an opportunity to observe discussions and interactions of care, as participants delve into their relationships with their Aunties, and their understanding of the concept of Aunties’ work.”

– Nadia Bunyan, curator of the exhibition
Aunties’ Work: The Power of Care

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Cathia Cariotte is a recognized leader who was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal for her unparallelled commitment to building lasting bridges between Canada and Africa. A multidisciplinary artist and promoter of international projects, she is affectionately known as “Manmie Kà” by young people around the world. With over 30 years of experience in consulting, economics and social innovation, she supports empowering initiatives in the fields of inclusion, cultural entrepreneurship and collective intelligence, using an approach rooted in listening, fairness and excellence. 

Ukpöng “Pöng” Etang is a steelpan artist, promoter, educator, and ambassador. Known for delivering memorable performances across all genres of music, he engages audiences from all walks of life. His work lies at the intersection of music, the arts, culture, and community. 

Noire Mouliom is a Montreal-based photographer, storyteller, creative director, and visual consultant of Cameroonian and Haitian heritage. Her work blends emotional intimacy with refined editorial and corporate aesthetics. She has worked with Janelle Monáe and her photos have been featured by the CBC, Canadian Business, the Canada Council for the Arts, and The Montreal Guardian. Her work has been recognized by American Photography 39 and LensCulture Portrait Society. In 2023, she led workshops for young creatives and partnered with BeCurious to support Black entrepreneurs. Her portraits celebrate beauty in all its forms, challenge colonial norms, and centre the radiance of Black identity. 

Idil Oumalker Kalif is a sociologist, renowned international lecturer, multilingual manager, and founder of the Ayeeyo podcast. For over 20 years, she has worked for various community, public and private organizations. Born in Djibouti and proudly raised in the neighbourhood of Little Burgundy (514/438), she studied at Université de Montréal as well as Université Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV), in France. A resident of Quebec for more than 38 years, she has been involved with Quebec’s Black and English-speaking communities. She also has experience in academia, working with diverse populations through the Canada Research Chair in Social Inequalities and Life Journeys (Université de Montréal). By spearheading multiple community, research and international programs and projects, she supports efforts to mitigate inequalities in Quebec and around the world. A Black, Somali Muslim woman with a disability, Idil is an experienced professional who works with love by adopting best practices related to harm reduction for marginalized populations. 

Gemma Raeburn-Baynes is a retired Senior Auditor from BMO Bank of Montreal and a passionate community leader. For over 50 years, she has championed equity, diversity, and inclusion through advocacy, volunteerism, and cultural initiatives. She is the Founder and President of Playmas Montreal Cultural Association and creator of impactful programs like the Gem*Star Circle of Excellence. A co-founder of Montreal’s Caribbean Carnival, Gemma has received numerous awards, including the YWCA Woman of Distinction and Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. She continues to inspire through national platforms, advisory boards, and her unwavering dedication to uplifting Black and Caribbean communities.

Nantali Indongo is a daughter of Montreal’s Afro-Caribbean, English-speaking community. Her identity was shaped by hip-hop culture and a family dedicated to public service in health, education, and community organizing for the city’s Black community. In the arts, Nantali, aka Tali Taliwah, was an emcee/vocalist with celebrated rap group Nomadic Massive for 17 years. For the past 15 years, Nantali has been a journalist at CBC Quebec. She is the host-producer of the culture show The Bridge and has been instrumental in her station’s work on inclusive practices in journalism, producing award-winning programming in addition to creating internal development tools and resources. Nantali has hosted national programs for both CBC and contributed to programming on Radio-Canada.  

Méshama Eyob-Austin is a recent graduate of McGill University where she studied sociology, and is currently a program assistant for the university’s Pick Your Path for Black Youth mentorship program. Growing up surrounded primarily by women, she has always been keenly aware of the essential role Aunties play in building and sustaining community. Her approach to social justice activism has been deeply influenced by their tireless work as leaders and has shaped her understanding of care, social change, and togetherness. She aspires to work in a community-oriented field and give back to her communities by continuing the tradition of Aunties work—a tradition of love.  

A former youth worker and community organizer, David Austin is an educator and the author of the award-winning Fear of a Black Nation: Race, Sex, and Security in Sixties Montreal (2014 Casa de las Américas Prize) and Dread Poetry and Freedom: Linton Kwesi Johnson and the Unfinished Revolution. He has written for the Toronto Star and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), produced radio documentaries on the life and work of C.L.R. James and Frantz Fanon for CBC Ideas, and was both a featured interviewee and consultant for CBC’s Black Life television documentary series. 

Brenda Paris is an educator, social justice activist and consultant. As a former member of the Board of Directors of the Montreal Urban Transport Corporation (now the STM) and President of its Ethnic and Social Diversity Committee, she curated the first forum on “The Integration of Ethnocultural and Visible Minority Employees in the Workplace.” She co-founded the Black and Third World Student Affairs Department at Dawson College and was a trainer at Status of Women Canada on Gender Based Analysis (GBA), a tool used to develop programs and policies. In addition, she was appointed Provincial Parole Commissioner, elected the first Black female President of a municipal Mayor’s political party, Union Montreal, and served as a Senior Advisor to the Head of the Official Opposition at Montreal’s City Hall. A consultant to the SPVM’s Advisory Committee and trainer for the Chief of Police and Police management, she sat on the Conseil des Relations interculturelles du Québec and The Estates General for the Parti Quebecois. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Harambec (a Black Feminist collective), Black Art Histories Montreal (BAHM), When the Village Meditates and SAMU Studio Musée. 

Videographer: Tomi Grgicevic © McCord Stewart Museum, 2025