Blackfoot Loop Necklace
2021
brain-tanned deer hide, glass beads (white and blue), brass beads, tacks, two silver conchos, horse harness leather
Project Statement
For this project, I wanted to make something that I've been wanting to for a while: a "Loop Necklace," a type of adornment that would have been worn by several tribes like the Crow, Shoshone, Flathead, Nez Perce, and of course, the Blackfoot. Survivance was the theme behind this project. I demonstrated this by being able to make this Loop Necklace, especially with help from my mother, who has taught me everything I know about beading and has been a supportive player in my journey so far. I wanted to also try and make this project using traditional methods and materials, including getting and using real buffalo and elk sinew to do the bead wrapping.
About Martin
Oki, my name is Martin Roundstone, I am a member of the Kainai Nation (Bloods) of Southern Alberta, and I also am a member of the Northern Cheyenne Nation of Southern Montana. I'm currently a student at the University of Lethbridge majoring in Business Management and Indigenous Governance with either a minor in Computer Science or Indigenous Art, although I might try and minor in both if I am able to. My childhood was spent on the Northern Cheyenne Nation Reservation located in Southern Montana, in a small town called Busby. My time there strongly influenced my views, my philosophy, and my ideas of what it means to be a Human Being, something that is important among the Cheyenne. During this time, I was fortunate enough to have parents that were involved in traditional ceremonies and culture, mainly that of Sun Dance. I got a chance to talk to a lot of "Old Guys," that understood the mysteries of Sun Dance and had Cheyenne views on life, stating to me that "Everything" is sacred, even those things that cannot talk. Ever since then, I have strived to learn what I can learn about my culture so I can pass in on to the next generation.
You brought me here so I could be
I am privileged to be on the lands of the Blackfoot people--the Kainai, Apaatohsipiikani, Siksika and Amsskapiipiikani Nations. I live in the City of Lethbridge which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III.
I do not know this land. There was a time when I would escape to the land to work out problems, to be alone, to recharge. I knew where to go, but this land is strange to me.
I do not know this land. Before I came here, I knew where the lady slippers grew along the road in Central Alberta. I knew where the spring run-off would charge through the culvert and into flood out onto the fields. I knew where to look for the first violets in the spring. I knew where the coyote den was and followed their trails across the fields. I knew what the pasture looked like before it was ploughed under and seeded to canola. I knew that when the clouds built and deepened in color that it was time to leave. I knew my land.
All that changed when I left. I do not know this land. Everything is strange. The land rolls on forever until it slams into the mountains. The wind is fierce. The sky is endless. I do not know how to access this place. Time changes all things. I do not know this land, but every time I go out onto it, I lean into it and learn. This is my journey.
My project is collaboration between with the clay and the land. Each piece is hand-built, using slabs of clay that are heavily textured. Clay has a remarkable way of picking up the slightest marks and textures. Everything has possibilities for creating texture: asphalt, concrete, iron, metal and wood in all states of decay. The clay I use is recycled cone 6 Plainsman clay sourced from Medicine Hat, Alberta. Once the slab is textured, it is formed into a vessel, allowed to air dry and then set out into the landscape.
Each location is photographed and recorded. To date, I have set vessels in stone piles, garbage dumps, in stubble fields, beside abandoned fence lines, and on top of boulders. I tried to ensure that every vessel could see the mountains to the west. Each vessel is left with an offering written on paper: "You brought me here so I could be." Periodically, I plan to return to the sites and record the efforts of my collaborator, the land. Some vessels, however, may never be found; they will be lost in their location. I will not be able to find my way back to them. And that is part of my journey with them.
About Donna
Art in its many forms has been and continues to be a platform for expression, both political cultural, and personal. For me, art is personal; it is a way to wordlessly express my feelings, reactions, and thoughts about the world in which I live.
I have been fortunate to know people who practice their art with an intensity and joy that I do not often see in those who have other occupations. Crys Harse, a metal worker and basket weaver and Linda Chow, a jeweller with unlimited vision, exemplify this. Ken Flett, a master bricolleur, showed me how to look inside myself to find out who I am and to face what I found fearlessly. Jason Frizzell, a printmaker and sculptor, pushed and encouraged me to try new mediums. Jake James, artist blacksmith, showed me an entirely new world of metal and that I never knew existed. Not only are these people accomplished artists, but they are fearless in their craft and willing and eager to share their knowledge with their students. I have indeed been fortunate to learn from them.
I have a Bachelor of Arts (English) from the University of Calgary, and a Visual Arts Diploma from Red Deer College. Currently, I am in my third year of Studio Art at the University of Lethbridge. I am a printmaker and a worker in clay.
Why do I make art? I have things I want to say, and words are not enough.
Postal . 2021
acrylic, digital image
Project Statement
This project seeks to continue the history of residential schools after they close down. The idea of using a stamp came about from the identity postcard project we did earlier in the semester. It got me thinking about how post cards and post stamps represent the history and culture of our country. This history is usually idealized or focused on the positive aspects. I wanted to use that same format to express the less idealized but still important parts of Canadian history. With the residential school I portrayed, I wanted to show how recent and relevant the effects of residential schools still are. I also thought it was important to include different ways that indigenous communities have taken to overcome this trauma and pain, so I decided to include a commemorative stamp sheet with the stamp that explains the different paths that have been chosen. Initially, I planned on making multiple stamps that included many different residential school’s journeys but doing so required ordering a lot of custom stamps which grew to be too expensive.
My late grandmother’s remaining siblings live in Lower Post, which is why I chose it as the main subject of my project. Although, while having a conversation with my mother, I found out that my grandmother’s siblings never went to the residential school in Lower Post, which was close to where they lived and instead were brought to the school in Grouard Alberta. When I heard this, I was shocked that they would send them so far away from their home, but I realized that that was exactly the reason they did so. Despite that, I still decided to use the Lower Post residential school because of the recent strides they have made to take their healing to the next step.
This work is supposed to commemorate the cycle of healing every First Nation community followed after the closing of the residential schools around Canada. The leftover buildings are a physical reminder of the past that every community has to deal with in order to start their healing path and I think it is important for these communities to be free to do whatever they need to with these buildings in order to achieve that healing.
About Kyla
Kyla Organ’s creative journey has gravitated towards working in drawing and painting, focusing mainly on pen work and acrylic painting. Her main subject matter stems from her own experiences and issues of identity, really emphasizing her discovery and learning of her Kaska roots. Much of what contributes to her creativity and desire to create is a result of her life growing up. Being a part of an RCMP family gave Kyla many opportunities to experience different communities and environments because it was required of them to move approximately every five years. This however, made it difficult for Kyla to connect to extended family and their cultures. Her art practice seeks to learn about her grandmother’s Kaska background and attempt to find a place for herself in relation to it.
In her home community of Olds Alberta, Kyla is known for her face painting at community events and the two temporary murals she designed and painted for the town. At the moment, she is a second year at the University of Lethbridge working towards a combined bachelors degree of Fine Arts and Education. Her goal is to grow her artistic abilities while pursuing her dream career as a teacher.
I don't know yet...
2021
digital photography, yarn, needlepunch, monk's cloth
Project Statement
Quilting, knitting, photography, and baking are ways I have used to express myself in the past, attempting to process the stress of being a single parent living on or under the poverty line for many years, and moving through tough times in life. I originally chose needlepunch to try a new way of creating something with my hands to represent a sense of freedom, mentally and physically. I started with wool and the needlepunch, stitching where it felt right. As I was stitching, I stared to force a shape into what I thought it needed to be, moving away from the idea of freedom and flow. This process initiated a long-held, hard-to-change beliefs about myself, echoing in my head: failure, unfinished/incomplete, who do you think you are to want better, go to university, do art. Feelings of depression, sadness, frustration, disconnection, confusion. I spiralled down with each thought, sensing the disconnection then happening from my thoughts and body. Survival (mental and physical) = separate mind from body, shut it down.
During the next class there was discussion that art does not always need to be finished in the formal sense, so I thought about how I could complete this artwork while still staying true to my original idea. Photography is something that always gets me out of my head, thinking of the setting, lighting, angles, focusing my attention on the camera, trusting my body and experience. I wanted a picture of spaces where I have that same feeling of freedom, comfort, or just a space to be when I am not able to handle anything else. Then, I took photos of myself in the space, exactly how it was in the moment, nothing is staged or set in a certain way. The last pictures are the needlepunch piece on its own in the space, showing all sides, bumpy, rough, smooth, light, dark, like we all are in different moments as humans. I never retouch or edit my photographs, it is important to me that they are exactly what they were in the moment, mistakes included (are they though?). Ironic considering the earlier spiral from a change in direction with the needlepunch.
This class nudged me to be more curious about my identity, where I come from, the stories I hold about myself, and where they come from. I imagined a future of freedom and ended up working through to the next step of my own identity, who I truly I for myself. Not the divorced parent, child of family violence, ex-wife, daughter, sister, friend. I feel defeated at times - how does one overcome or get through tough times? Shutting down is one option, and I know it will happen again, but now I have even more of a desire to move through it, acknowledge all these feelings and know that I am still, and will always be Ang.
I invite you to look inside, connect with one small part that needs nurturing, love and compassion....
About Ang
Ang is third generation born and raised in Lethbridge, Alberta. They have worked as an educational assistant with young children with disabilities for 15 years. In September of 2020 they started university and turned 40. For Ang, it has been a year of questioning, asking what they stand for, who they are inside and how, and how to show themselves to the world. Art is a new experience that has helped them express and work through moments of uncertainty, change and self-destructive thoughts. They are a first-year anthropology major, learning about humans from different backgrounds, ethnicities, life experience, gender, and sexualities. Ang has studied people from all walks of life, how we have interacted in the past, and plans for doing better in the future, with the idea of creating a world with more empathy, appreciation for difference and working together for freedom for all people to be themselves. At this point, Ang will be in Lethbridge for the foreseeable future, with thoughts of travelling to new places in the future.
Mosom
2021
canvas, acrylic paint
Project Statement
Hereditary Chief Joseph Moyah Sr. was born in Frog Lake, Alberta on November 30th, 1945 and sadly passed away on February 16th, 2021 in Edmonton, Alberta. This is my mosom (grandfather) who is the subject of this painting. He was a survivor of the (Labret) Qu’Appelle residential school. He stayed involved not only in his home community but had connections to other communities as well. He worked for many years on and off in the council of Frog Lake. He stayed quite traditional despite his upbringing as well. He was connected into western society without putting aside his own culture. He was a family man and would attend anything he could for the family. As the family is spread out this also meant travelling between the west coast and central Canadian areas quite often. He was one of the very few that was consistently there for anyone in the family if they needed him. His legacy lives on in his family members.
An important concept that is a part of this painting is the northern lights. I was taught as a child that our ancestors dance in the northern lights. I used to live in Islay, Alberta which is not far from Frog Lake. As a kid I would have the best views of the northern lights from this hill not far from my house. I would look up and think of my kokom who passed away when I was quite young. A few weeks ago, I was driving near Islay and Frog Lake where I’ve seen the northern lights. This made me think of what I had been taught as a child and I told my friend who was with me about it. While telling her, more memories came and I thought of my mosom, too. That was the moment I decided I wanted to incorporate the northern lights into the painting. It brings me peace to look at the northern lights and think of my mosom and kokom. They passed on what they could to their children and grandchildren before their passing. Now two true loves, after many years, are finally reunited.
The idea behind the mountain landscape are the mutual connections to myself and my family. We are spread out between B.C. and Manitoba, many more having moved west. I currently live in the mountains and have spent a lot of time in various areas in B.C. with family. While looking through photos of my mosom I found many of him in the mountains.
I find that this painting can relate to many of the themes that we came across in class: survivance because of who my mosom was and what he came from, breaking barriers and legacies as he did, passing on many teachings and pieces of himself to many people. Another theme which relates to my painting is identity, shown not only through my mosom but through who I am becoming as well.
About Cheyenne
I was born in Lloydminster, Alberta/Saskatchewan and raised in different towns between the two different provinces. I am of Saulteaux, Sioux and Irish descent and am a member of Cowessess First Nation. My preferred mediums of art are acrylic paint, pencils/sketching, and pastels. My art is most inspired by personal events in which I use art to heal. The people who have taught me most of the skills I have today are my mom and my uncle Tim who are both brilliant artists. I currently live in Lake Louise, AB where I am constantly inspired by the mountains. I am currently in the Indigenous Student Success Program that is directed towards a first year of a bachelors. Next year I am excited to be studying Indigenous Studies and Psychology.
Lonely Covid Queen
2021
Disposable medical gloves, digital photography
Project Statement
In this artwork, titled Lonely Covid Queen, I have drawn inspiration from many different sources to create the finished product. I was first prompted by my professor, Jackson 2Bears, to make an artwork that was a response to the idea of revitalization. This led me to create a project in which all the materials would be recycled and repurposed.
At the time of creation, I was working as a health assistant in a box factory and noticed that I was throwing out numerous pairs of gloves daily that I was only wearing for minutes at a time. I wanted to give these gloves a new life. While collecting these gloves I started doing some research regarding the manipulation of everyday objects into the fashion world and came across Nicole Mclaughlin.
Nicole Mclaughlin is able to take any household item and turn it into couture fashion which I had thought I’d never seen before, until doing research on the Canadian Indigenous artist Lori Blondeau. Lori Blondeau specializes in performance art and digital photography. In her piece titled Lonely Surfer Squaw, the viewer can see Blondeau standing in the snow, holding a surfboard, standing in a fur bikini. Blondeau looks so free in her body and confident to be standing in front of that camera, and I was inspired by this. The oddity of her bikini in the winter, and the message of turning something so negative such as the word “squaw” into a word she can take back and give new life to, led me to the idea of using these gloves to turn something with negative connotations into something I can be proud of. I then realized that because I was working on this project in 2021, most of the struggles both me and the whole world were feeling had to do with Covid-19. I then realized the issue I would address would be the loneliness brought upon by the pandemic, which coincided perfectly with Lori Blondeau’s title Lonely Surfer Squaw.
I decided I wanted to recreate Lori Blondeau’s image wearing a bikini made from the gloves I’d collected from work and pose in front of the EMS vehicles in front of the hospital. This project has not only made me look at the entirety of the pandemic and think about all the creativity produced during these months. The day before executing the photo, I was watching RuPaul’s Drag Race and it happened to be a reveal episode where each queen is supposed to reveal a second outfit underneath the one they already have on and I figured this would be fun to do with the hazmat suits we had at work. Due to the last-minute inspiration from drag queens, I decided to incorporate the word “queen” into my title as a tribute.
Doing this project, I decided it was time for me to love myself. I have always had very hard issues with my body and have never felt comfortable in my own skin. While doing this project, I needed to transform myself as I progressed with my artwork. I bought a gym membership and made sure to go at least 3 days a week and include meal planning from Monday to Friday. I feel healthier, I feel happier, and I can say for the first time since my childhood that I love the skin I’m in.
About Keegan
Keegan Kenny is a Canadian artist born in Regina, Saskatchewan but is currently located in Lethbridge, Alberta as she is attending the University of Lethbridge with a major in art history and a minor in studio art. Keegan began her artistic “career” as a child, as almost everyone does. Starting from as early as she can remember, Keegan used to repeatedly draw pictures of friends and family basking in the sun. After receiving praise from her mother, Tanya, her parents decided to enroll her in various art classes. This is where Keegan learned the techniques of artistry and how to manipulate different mediums. Throughout elementary school, she had started to improve her physical ability to produce art in a way that was acceptable to her, but she didn’t feel the passion she had seen in so many artists around her. Keegan was struggling to find her unique style everyone had already seemed to develop.
In grade 10, Keegan started to struggle with mental health issues that seemed to create a filter over the world she was looking at. Keegan no longer saw the world as it was, but as it could be. Spider-webs were no longer just made to catch bugs but were a beautiful mix of fear, disgust, and sublimity. Keegan became attracted to the weird and creepy ways of looking at life, seeing the beauty in things many find disturbing or too far. Keegan became obsessed with the idea of pushing the limits with not only the content but the medium in her practice. As time went on, this infatuation with the weird became enveloped in Keegan’s personality, where she eventually felt as though she had found herself and her passion for her craft. Keegan does not work with any specific medium as she likes to explore and does not want to restrict herself.
Thus far, Keegan has displayed her artwork in one previous exhibit known as the “Cheesy Art Affair” which takes place at Michael A. Riffel high school annually. Keegan has collaborated with artists all over the prairies to contribute to her artistic career. Keegan would like to specifically mention the efforts of Karen Lach, who inspired her to never give up and find her passion for art time and time again.
The Dead Indian
2021
16”x12”
embroidery thread and charcoal on canvas
Project Statement
This piece is inspired by a chapter in Thomas King's book, The Inconvenient Indian: A curious account of Native People in North America. Indigenous people are separated from the identity that media creates and portrays, and thus my project is the visualization of the harmful disconnect that stereotypes in the media put in place in society. Most people don't know that Indigenous people exist or know any personally, so media is the only frame of reference for these people and that can be damaging to Indigenous people's identity. The media demonizes Indigenous people by casting them as bad guys or spiritual healers. The title The Dead Indian refers to a definition in Thomas King's book: "Dead Indians I'm talking about are not the deceased sort. Nor are they all that inconvenient. They are the stereotypes and clichés that North America has conjured up out of experience and out of collective imaginings and fears. - Dead Indians can be found in rodeos, powwows, movies, television commercials."
About Timberly
Timberly Pace Good Striker, age 23, was born and raised in Lethbridge AB, from the Northern Piikani Nation. She was raised in a traditional home with spiritual values which translated through her art in a modern spin. Timberly was a self-taught artist until high school where her techniques and understanding of art and art history were polished. Brent Hogan taught the art classes and sparked her interest in taking her BFA NA Art History & Museum studies in post-secondary and encouraged her to pursue her art as a career. Drawing and painting are her main mediums and, equipped with Indigenous perspective, Timberly's art is a reaction to social, environment, and political issues. As art accomplishments go, she has designed 3 tattoos for her friends and their parents.
Silent danger
2021
digital video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDn8eLAg7_E
My name is Keely Crow Eagle, I am from the Piikani and the Siksika Nations. I am currently in the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education program at the University of Lethbridge. As a person, I have always connected well with children and love to plan events, and recently have discovered my voice through creating my own art. My art is generally focused on children and all people who fear their voices. My art pieces are displays of things that I have seen or experienced in my lifetime, which are demonstrated through images of realism such as photography and clay models. These arrangements showcase the effects of greed or selfishness and learned behaviors that cause trauma that are knowingly or unknowingly bestowed on others. My passion is to help each person I can, to find their voice even if that means that I must be that voice. Therefore, I have chosen to demonstrate the effects of being afraid to find healthy ways to release our pain and to show the unseen devastations that are released when we cannot control our emotions any longer, which results in unintentionally hurting ourselves and/or the people we love. To demonstrate this concept, I have chosen a balloon to represent our stress level, because it can only be filled until it explodes. In my video, I have selected white clothes to epitomize the innocence of youth. The darkness symbolizes the obscurity that we feel when we are unseen or unheard. Each breath in the balloon represents all the unspoken secrets of trauma, all the weight from daily pressures, and all the pain and heaviness that is developed by silence.
Awo’taan
2021
hoop, rawhide, acrylic paint
Project Statement
For this project I wanted to make a shield because, for me, a shield symbolizes protection. The shield is supposed to represent me, as I am the protector of my family and would do anything to keep them safe from harm. I was inspired to make a shield because my family and I were sick with COVID, and our isolation was a time of loneliness, stress and worry. I decided to make it out of rawhide because I wanted my project to reflect the theme of this course, Indigenous Art. I let the rawhide soak for two days before I started to work on it. Traditionally, you would use willow and shape in into a ring for the shield, but I just used a hoop I had on hand as it was the easiest for me to work with. Next, I used a matte paint on the front of the rawhide once it was assembled with the red cloth and dried.
I chose to paint the medicine wheel on it because it is a reminder to balance all four aspects of your well-being, which are Mental, Physical, Spiritual and Emotional. After the first layer was dried, I painted another layer to give it a nicer look, then I added the eagle and stars (circles). I chose to paint the eagle because the eagle is viewed as a very wise and powerful animal. I also tried to make it symmetrical to the best of my ability. The stars were added because I remember growing up being told that we are star people and that, when we pray and smudge, we are praying to our ancestors who are the stars in the night sky. They also represent family members that got sick and how I prayed and smudged for everybody to recover safely. The feathers on the side were added to compliment the appreciation of the eagle, which I attached to the shield using black, white, and red yarn. What I would like people to think when they see my work is how much time it takes to make a shield, the purpose that a shield has, and most importantly how much thought and care went into creating it.
About Trey
Oki, my name is Trey Shining Double, I am 22 years of age and I am a part of the Piikani Nation located in Southern Alberta. I am a father of two little boys, Dasan and Mikasi. Currently, I am attending my first year at the U of L. I’m in the Indigenous Student Success Cohort and I hope to achieve a B.A in Music and Business Management. Growing up, I was always passionate about music. This passion started after I received my very own stereo system. Any type of genre I enjoy, but the main genres I mostly listen to are Rock and Country. The guitarists David Gilmour and Slash were the ones who inspired me to get into guitar. I also have done live performances playing the guitar.
My passion for art is expressed through my love for music, I have been playing guitar since the age of 10 years old. In the past few years, I have taken an interest in learning other instruments such as the keyboard and drums. Generally, I am self-taught when it comes to learning instruments, but I have also taken music lessons to help me improve my skill. In the present day, I reside on the Kainai Nation about 45 min away from my community. I stay with my wife and two children, and I also work night shifts at the Kainai Transition Centre Society.
My everything
2021
acrylic on canvas
Project Statement
This piece is acrylic paint on canvas. I chose to use acrylic paint because it is a medium I do not use very often. I am more of a watercolour artist, but I like the challenge of acrylic as it is not as forgiving. My piece relates to the themes in the course by tying to my personal connection to the land. Ever since I was a little kid, I have always felt drawn to nature and the outdoors. My Oma, who was Métis, would tell me “it is in my blood” when I was in the tall grass catching grasshoppers. Through all of the hardships I have been through in my life, I have felt a sense of calm while near the mountains. My connection to the land runs deep. I am a Virgo, an earth sign, which I also believe has something to do with being attached to nature.
This painting resembles my family and how strong we are when we are united. We have all had our own separate struggles throughout the last year, but we still remain strong and help each other through it. I see each family member as a mountain. Mountains get hit with snow, wind, erosion, and lose pieces of themselves, but still stand. The two birds in-between the mountains that represent my mother and father, are my grandparents on my mother’s side. Originally, I wanted to have them as trees, but I think birds flying over the water is more suitable to show their free spirits. I have a little pink flower to represent my friend Brie who passed away last August in a workplace accident. She was only 23. She and I shared a love for exploring, and she was also in school to become a teacher. I think of her often and I truly think when she passed, she took a piece of me with her. I just wanted to place a flower here in memory of her.
A major challenge I have had to face that shaped this artwork would be my run-in with COVID and my awful immune system, restricting me from my original idea. My original piece was supposed to be acrylic on glass, painted on the windows of my parents’ house. A few days before I was supposed to start, I was admitted to Sundre hospital for a flu and was tested for COVID. Thankfully, my COVID test result was negative, but due to the high volume of tests, I did not get my results back until after the midterm critique. It seems as though every original idea I have, something steps in my way of doing it! Last semester was a perfect example of this. I hope the viewers of this piece think about how calm this piece is. I hope they can feel the stress lift off of them as they take in the nature in the piece and can connect to it. I would love it if the viewer could see the mountains and remember a fond time in their life while exploring nature.
I had done some thinking as to where I wanted these photos, and these turned out best. The natural earthy tones of this background really allow the colours of the painting to shine. This creek holds a special place in my heart because when I was little, I lived in a house along this creek. For many years I would spend days catching frogs and tadpoles with my little brother, and explore what this piece of nature had to offer. It fit perfect with my family theme.
About Trinity
Trinity Vandebeld is a 20-year-old woman who has always had a love for art and her culture. Vandebeld is a non-status Métis and has recently been on a spiritual journey to connect with the earth and energy surrounding her. She was raised in the small town of Sundre, Alberta in a chaotic, love-filled home with her mother, father and brother, as well as her grandparents from her mother’s side. The medium Trinity typically works with is watercolor paint as well as acrylic on canvas. She is very open to other forms of art such as 3D sculpting and ceramics. She gained her passion for art from her Oma who was an amazing acrylic artist. Trinity was always encouraged by her family to keep creating and to follow her dreams. Trinity has completed 2 years of her Bachelor of Education degree at Red Deer College and has just transferred to the University of Lethbridge to get her combined degree. She hopes to become a high school English and art teacher to continue to inspire creativity in the new generations of kids. Trinity aspires to be the person she needed when she was a teenager.
Nitomahtaotsitaaapihpi: The Legacy of my Ancestors
2021
watercolour paper, red thread, red seed beads, blue seed beads and fine tip pen
Project Statement
This artwork is not only important to me but to my family and the younger generations to come. I created this artwork because I think it is extremely important to know where you come from. The inspiration came from the fact that I have an open book just a phone call away: my grandma. She is full of knowledge about the Blackfoot ways of life and has always told me stories about my history, so I wanted to sit down with her to know where I come from in greater detail. She was very thrilled about the idea of me creating an artwork that documents her family history because no one has ever asked her about it. I learned so much about my family in the process of creating this book and I know that I will be able to share these stories in the future. I also gave the book the feeling of being unfinished, starting with my grandmother’s page. My grandmother is still here on this earth with much more knowledge to share, so I left her part of the book blank as if it is unwritten with the feeling that I am going to be adding much more to the book later as my life goes on.
I chose the materials of watercolour paper, red thread, fine tip pen and beads to create this project. I wanted to keep it as simple as possible and handmade; the book being completely handmade made it feel like it was genuine and interesting for someone to pick it up and ask about how I made it.
This artwork relates to many themes of this course but mainly to the theme of survivance. There are 5 generations in my family history that were colonized and attended residential schools, and I am a product of that. To make this project and demonstrate that after everything my ancestors have been through, I am able to tell their stories and share it with people today. I think it is amazing to show that the Fox family legacy is still alive.
A challenge that I had throughout making the book was the fact that there is still much more information that needs to be added. I have met with my grandmother numerous times and I still felt like I didn’t have enough information on many people or topics. I also beaded the Blackfoot word on the title page, and I found that it started to scrunch together and made it unreadable. Maybe in the future I may take the beadwork out and leave it simple. Also, my handwriting, my handwriting is very disfigured and that kind of discouraged me when I was writing everything into the book, but I thought to myself that this makes the book truly me, my handwriting is a part of my identity and it gives the book some personality.
When viewers are looking at my artwork, I want them to think about where they come from and hopefully feel inspired to get to know even just a little about their families. If they still have a parent or grandparent here, to go ask them about their history; I am 24 and had my grandmother here all these years to finally ask her where I come from, she said she has been waiting for this moment and was very thrilled to educate me.
About Fallyn
My name is Fallyn Taylor Creighton, I am Blackfoot and a proud member of the Blood Tribe in Southern Alberta. I am currently finishing up my combined degree; Bachelor of Arts focused in Indigenous Studies with a minor in Art and a Bachelor of Education in Indigenous Education with a minor in Art Education. I am currently in my last year of University with plans to graduate in September 2021.
My creativity was shaped by my grandparents, they loved appreciating art, collecting art and making artworks. When I was younger, they always encouraged me to pursue art; they were always buying me easels, top of the line acrylic paint, water colour, oil pastels and jewelry making kits. When I would go visit them, my grandmother would have an art station set up for me to paint/draw or my grandfather would bring me on “nature walks” to appreciate the beauty of nature. I didn’t realize at the time that they were shaping my mind to appreciate art in the many shapes and forms that it comes in.
My biggest art accomplishment to date was when I had the amazing opportunity to donate one of my artworks to fundraise for diabetes research at the Indian National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada. My artwork, Kiiayo (Bear) sold to Four Bears Hotel and Casino in North Dakota; my biggest dream is to travel there one day and find it.
Intergenerational Trauma and Healing
Tanya 'Siikitso Aki' Loftus nee Scalplock
mixed media
2020
Trauma does not always dissipate in it's effects
but rather can trickle down from generation to generation
Intergenerational trauma or historical trauma,
can affect a family, a community, or a people.
While each generation of that family
may experience it's own form of trauma
The first experience can be traced back decades
The people of the highest risk of trauma
and those with the most difficulty working through it
have experienced their own form of trauma but,
Also have come from a family where there was trauma in their parents, and often in their parents' parents.
Restoring traditional healing knowledge and practices...
is a pathway to both empowerment and health,
the key to healing
the intergenerational trauma effects
of residential school
and reclaiming our identity for healing.
About Siikitso Aki Tanya Loftus nee Scalplock
Born is Bassano, Alberta in 1979, Calgary-based self-taught artist, 'Siikitso Aki' Tanya Loftus nee Scalplock, is a Blackfoot member of the Siksika Nation #147. Tanya embarked on a journey of self-realization and purpose in 2016. Connecting with her cultural heritage and roots has increased her vitality and unleashed a desire to acquire the traditional knowledge and teachings of her ancestors. Mental health and awareness being brought to the front lines of understanding addictions has increased her desire to incorporate holistic and cultural approaches to creating art pieces that reflect western and ancestral knowledge. Her first experience as an artist was in 2020 at the University of Lethbridge, where she enrolled in an Indigenous Art course. It was the recent passing of her eldest child, in the summer of 2018, that brought her to realize she wanted to pursue a career in the field that allows her to help the younger generations with their healing, and to be part of addiction prevention.
Project Statement
If I am to survive, I must learn the ways and teachings of my ancestors, keeping them close to heart while keeping the balance in my life and my surroundings outside my community. Traditional Knowledge collides with the contemporary and/or mainstream world, and it is my purpose to connect both of these worlds to heal not only myself, but all others who call for healing.
Growing up in a world destitute of purpose and meaning meant struggling with my own identity. Without the Traditional Knowledge my ancestors set out for future generations, I found myself displaced in a society of mixed interpretations of our history. In order to ground myself and build a strong foundation for myself as well as my family, I needed to look into the history of my parents and grandparents, into the history of my ancestors and within myself. I needed to understand what their pain was, and how it affected the future generations. Parts of this journey lead me to places I never thought I would end up. I've learned so much in the past five years that I feel my expedition has only begun, and I am but a little child in a universe filled with vast knowledge, only to be absorbed and expelled onto the rest of the world.
Working within the limitations of virtual art-sharing, I have tried to capture the importance of mental health and awareness. During this process of expressing myself, whether physically, emotionally, mentally and/or spiritually, I needed to showcase the positive and the negative effects of intergenerational trauma.
Within each frame, I chose words and poses that would not only speak to the audience, but also bring awareness to the depth of mental health and addictions, once we can understand our history, then we will understand the present. Together with the knowledge and the wisdom our ancestors laid before us, we can begin to heal ourselves. Part of my creation process meant delving through a painful past of loss and annihilation, feelings that emanate through some of my previous pieces. I do not wish to only showcase adversity, but rather reveal a legacy critical to Nitsitapi, because we are.......
RESILIENT
