The Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts have  honoured an aboriginal artist who uses art to examine the treatment of Canada’s First Nations people.

Anishinaabe artist Rebecca Belmore is  based in Winnipeg.

She’s considered one of Canada’s foremost contemporary artists – for her use of sculpture, performance and video to explore the legacy of colonialism.

Other  winners include composer Gordon Monahan  and sculptor Colette Whiten, both of Ontario.

Montrealer Chantal Pontbriand was honoured for her more than 30 years of work as a curator and art critic.

Winners of the Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts receive $25,000.