Give Back Carry Forward

Welcome to our blog, a dedicated platform that carries forward the learning from our final project, gives back to the community, and amplifies Indigenous voices. Photo credits: pfp - kʷikʷəƛ̓əm first nation; header - maynard johnny jr.

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Welcome!

This is a blog dedicated to amplifying indigenous voices.

I have chosen to share art, stories, and poetry created by indigenous peoples on this platform, as it is a platform that allows posting in multiple formats.  The social media aspect of Tumblr allows this content to be shared easily with others, hopefully allowing the stories and voices of these artists to reach a wider audience, of whom I’m sure the art will resonate with no matter where they are from. In sharing these stories and art pieces with people around the world, my hope is that it encourages wider recognition, awareness, and acknowledgement of indigenous voices.

Most of the stories, art, and poetry that I share will be from Coast Salish people or people who also grew up in and around the coast, as I think it’s important to be familiar with the culture and stories of the land that you live on and have a connection to.

Please enjoy, and if you have any comments or suggestions, kindly hit the “feedback” button!

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Land Acknowledgment

“We acknowledge that we operate on the traditional, ancestral, and unseeded territory of the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem First Nation). We thank the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm who continue to live on these lands and care for them, along with the waters and all that is above and below. This is not a way to make an apology for what happened in the past but a step towards recognizing and respecting the ongoing connection of the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm people to their land.”

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Resistant Raven

Robert Mills

from the website: "Raven is always pushing our consciousness along. Getting into things maybe we should or shouldn’t. Understand humanity and understanding ourselves. If he focused on only was good or right some things wouldn’t be in existence. He’s illuminating that for us. In this print, he’s bringing color scheme in a different way. Some people wouldn’t like these colors because they are not traditional. The blue corner depicts the proverbial box. The person inside is expressing, “If you are going to put me in your box then good luck trying to find me!”- Rob Mills

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ts'msyenu a ts'm g̱a̱w'iłeeyu - tsimshian in my veins.

series of illustrations completed over last month 🐟

the illustration with the raven i first did a couple years ago; i completely re-drew it, and expanded on the concept by creating the other two works. i was guided by a hope to combine the ideas of Indigenous kinship with other-than-humans, and a critique of blood quantum.

prints: wolf, raven, salmon | wolf illustration timelapse (patreon)

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The Mountain of SGaana - Christopher Auchter

In The Mountain of SGaana, Haida filmmaker Christopher Auchter spins a magical tale of a young man who is stolen away to the spirit world, and the young woman who rescues him. The film brilliantly combines traditional animation with formal elements of Haida art, and is based on a story inspired by an old Haida fable.

- from the National Film Board

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On Seeing a Photograph of My Mother at St. Joseph Residential School for Girls by David Groulx

A black and white picture

The sun is shining through a window behind you

Your hair black short Your small brown hands folded neatly on a tiny wooden desk

Some of the girls in the picture are smiling You are not Your eyes staring into the camera Seem a million miles away

That stare I will see seldom and one day understand that storms begin millions of miles away

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source: https://poetryinvoice.ca/read/poems/seeing-photograph-my-mother-st-joseph-residential-school-girls

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Language by Lee Maracle

Do you speak your language?  I stare — I just said: how are you?  I thought English was my language apparently it isn’t I thought Halkomelem was gibberish the devil’s language that’s what the nuns said apparently not

Some white guy sets me straight: Aboriginal people are losing languages Funny, thought I had it just a moment ago maybe it’s in Gramma’s old shoebox maybe it's sandwiched between papers in plastic bags hidden under mom’s bed Hey, has anyone seen my language?

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source: https://poetryinvoice.ca/read/poems/language

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BIRD TRANSFORMATION John Marston, Yellow cedar, abalone, cedar root, cedar bark and acrylic paint, 2013 (Left Image: Front; Right Image: Back)

“I like to tell the history of our people, and tell the legends of where we came from and who we are.

One of the most important things for me in my work is to always remember that I’m part of a heritage, I’m part of a culture that’s been here for thousands of years, and I’ve only been here for thirty-six.

I think that as long as I am true to our history and my teachings and the artwork then I feel that I’m doing something right.”

– John Marston

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source: https://legacy.uvic.ca/gallery/salishcurriculum/artwork-for-discussion/bird-transformation/

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CULTURAL CUNUNDRUM lessLIE, Acrylic on hide, 2013

big bucks born in the salish sea  Starbucks a cultural parody taking salish land for lucrative coffee andy whorl, painting, startbucks, spindle whorl, as the w(((h)))orl(((d))) a big bucks core-poor-ration putting the poor on rations  while the rich drink cultural cofFEE a cultural parody

-lessLIE

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source: https://legacy.uvic.ca/gallery/salishcurriculum/artwork-for-discussion/cultural_cunundrum/

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ATE SALMON Maynard Johnny Jr., Serigraph on paper, 2005

“This print represents a time when my mother’s family lost their fishing jobs because there were no fish. It’s a political statement in the form of a pun; we used to eat salmon but now the supply is depleted. The salmon not only represented jobs but was also our main food supply.”

– Maynard Johnny Jr.

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source: https://salishweave.com/gallery_items/ate-salmon/