A NEW LANDSCAPE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION FUNDRAISER
I have been wanting to create a special art piece that can be used to raise awareness and funds for Indigenous-led healing charities. After much learning and thought, “A New Landscape” was born. The piece is an original acrylic painting on canvas that is available to purchase as a giclee art print or mug by clicking here.
100% of the profits of these sales will benefit an Indigenous, women-led charity, Clan Mothers Healing Village. From their website, Clan Mothers “provide(s) mid-term to long-term support to women who have been victims of multi-generational trauma, sexual violence, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking as they begin their healing journey”. It is an honour to have sales proceeds go to this very worthy cause.
A New Landscape: About the Artwork
This canvas painting represents how I see Truth and Reconciliation as a non-Indigenous person. The perspective that I have comes from learning that I have engaged in over these last years in the wake of the T and R commission as well as my work in health care. I acknowledge that I do not have a lived experience of these injustices, but rather that my perspective is that of an outsider who is trying to learn. My goals in making this piece are to hopefully use my voice to engage other non-Indigenous Canadians to learn about these issues, as well as to use the image in fundraising efforts for Indigenous-led groups that are doing healing work.
Truth and Reconciliation is portrayed in this painting as a journey that we all engage in. There are a number of figures in the painting of different ages and abilities. They are meant to be reflective of any of us as we go on this journey together. The viewer observes that there is a night sky as well as a day sky. This is because this is work that is not limited to a single day or moment, but will rather need many years to fully realize. The bottom part of the painting has ribbons of different colours, that are meant to draw our attention to issues that have impacted Indigenous peoples in our country. At the far left, where the journey starts, you see prominently displayed black, red and orange ribbons. If you read closely, you will learn about injustices that have caused terrible suffering for Indigenous persons. The black ribbon represents an overarching theme of racism, cultural losses and genocide that has sadly shaped the landscape. The red ribbon represents violence against Indigenous women and girls. The orange ribbon represents countless abuses against children and families. These are prominent at the beginning of the journey, because the landscape is heavily influenced by their presence. But as we continue on the journey, the ribbons become smaller and less pronounced, and a new landscape gives way. If we acknowledge the Truth and engage with it, Reconciliation becomes possible – not through words but most importantly through actions. A yellow ribbon emerges that represents better health, dignity and respect – all of which are particularly important to me, being a health care provider. The green ribbon represents the land, and a growing respect for traditional ways of being. As the land and Indigenous knowledge are respected, it gives forth new foliage and beauty that blossoms in time. The blue ribbon represents water, because water is sacred and it is life-giving to us all. Water is particularly important to acknowledge, as there are many communities in Canada that are without access to clean drinking water. We must all concern ourselves with righting this wrong. I have displayed the water very prominently in this painting because of how important this issue is. A reconciled landscape shows the water in an extravagant display, in concert with the foliage and flowers that bloom.
If you pay close attention to the figures who are walking on this journey, you will notice that the ones who are leading the group are small children. This is because I believe that we must look to the children to help us resolve many of these concerns. The children were the ones that alerted many to these injustices through their experiences in Residential Schools. And I believe the children are going to lead us to a better future. They will learn differently than previous generations and will use their knowledge to make the landscape beautiful for us all. The children delight in the flowers that are blooming for them as they encounter them.
Another symbol in this painting is that the journey takes place from the mountains on the left, to the maritimes on the right, to the Northern Lights in the night sky. In this way, the painting visually represents our country from coast to coast to coast. I hope to represent how this journey encompasses all parts of our country and all peoples.
The painting is not overly prescriptive in terms of the “how” that reconciliation happens, but rather focuses on the “what”. This is intentional, because I simply wish to capture the issues that we must work through. Regarding “how” reconciliation happens, I look to Indigenous voices to share what is most important. In this light, I offer this painting in response to Call 83 from the 94 Calls to Action report, which calls on both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians to create art to educate about these issues.
