Royals view Mohawk artist's exhibit during Canada House visit

The Duke and Duchess of Sussexviewedan exhibitionby Mohawk artist Skawennati while visitingCanada'shigh commissioner to the United Kingdom at Canada House in London on Tuesday.

Harry and Meghan's visit was tothank Canada for the hospitality they received during their stay over the holidays.

"I feel very lucky that it's my show that's on right now when the royals are visiting," said Skawennati, who is based in Montreal and originally from Kahnawake, Que.

Her exhibitionAvatars Aliens Ancestors(or Kaia'tonnihseronni:nion Ratironhia'kehshn:'a Kahsotshera'okon'knhen in Mohawk) has been running at the Canada House gallery since November.

Skawennatiuses virtual environmentsandvideo games to reimagine Indigenouspeoples' past andpresent, while looking ahead to the future.

WATCH | Harry and Meghan visit Canada House:

Prince Harry and Meghan visit Canada House

5 years ago

Duration 5:29

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to official royal duties Tuesday with a visit to Canada House in London. The couple met with Canadas High Commissioner to the U.K. Janice Charette and her staff to thank them for their recent visit to Canada.

Skawennatiis renowned for her machinimasand machinimagraphs (videos and photographs, respectively, made withinvirtual environments)such as her TimeTravellerportraits, whichfeaturearange of Indigenous people from the 15th to 23rdcenturies.

Skawennati said that before travelling to London to set up the exhibition, she thoughtabout the relationship through history between theHaudenosaunee the confederacy which includes the Mohawk and the Crown, and those who met with royalty to discuss treaties.

She thought aboutcreating a new machinimain which her avatar, her virtual persona, met the Queen.

She said she was "pretty surprised and pretty thrilled" to learn that Harry and Meghan would see her avatar as part of the exhibition.

"What I would like is for them to remember our long relationship," said Skawennati "Not only have we survived colonization, attempts at assimilation and genocide, but that we are in the process of revitalizing our languages and our culture. We've remembered a lot, and I'd like them to think about using their influence to see what role they can play in that revitalization."