Acrylic on canvas
2019
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This art piece denotes both the inner struggles of aboriginal people and the harsh realities of global warming on animals.
During the making of this piece I thought about the struggles of my family and how the lives of aboriginal people have been in the past and are currently. Many things are sadly still the same.
Keeping in touch with our culture is harder and harder as we struggle to fit in.
I spoke with my sister about this loss in our lives. She told me, she was asked to be in group where the topic was how aboriginal people have integrated themselves along with their culture into the white world. She responded by saying she didn’t think she would fit in the group because she basically gave up her culture and just started working.
All of us did this in my family. We didn’t stop believing, we didn’t change our core values or anything like that. But we definitely had to change a major part of our lives to accommodate having jobs, then better paying jobs.
We come from a family of hard workers. And in many ways, that’s what our parents paid for with their jobs. This opportunity for us to know our culture and still be a part of our updated surroundings. It has been really hard to circle back to. Not because we don’t want to, but because things have changed so much. Many of the people we knew have passed on and with them the language, the ceremonies, just plain knowledge.
I really miss that part of my life.
Are other First Nations feeling this? Any other cultures have this same problem?
I would like to hear from other people on this. Please comment.
Kalaya Point 