it beats inside all who speak for those who can’t
6.5’ Height
Wood, Fabric, Sinew, Embroidery Floss
2014
For decades, Indigenous women have been gathering each February and throughout the year to call attention to Canada’s disproportionately high ratio of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). These women work tirelessly in their advocacy, raising their voices in protest, drumming and song on behalf of those who’ve been silenced. it beats inside all who speak for those who can’t pays tribute to these impassioned and dedicated women. Stretched across this large-scale hand-drum, a gauze swathe holds the Women’s Warrior Song within its embroidery. The song, intrinsic to this advocacy, has been transposed to pattern and stitched into the delicate swathe as a visual offering of those whose voices have gone silent.
Sweat Lodge
86” diameter X 4’ height
Acrylic, plaster, nylon taffeta, light/mirrors, speaker/iPod
2013
This work considers customary approaches to healing in contrast to Western based clinical medicine. Traditionally, sweat lodges were and still are used by First Nations people as a form of healing, but, in contrast, the majority now visit hospitals and clinics for our healing. These medical facilities are typically cold concrete buildings, sterile, clean and monotone. A sweat lodge ceremony is customarily performed in a wooded area, a fire pit is dug into the ground, tree branches are used as framework and a mixture of blankets; fur and bark cover the structure. This work represents the decline of one form of tradition that has occurred within Aboriginal culture. I wanted to unite traditional and present-day by building a sweat lodge using artificial materials not found in nature. The white starkness of the lodge and the artificial light from the “fire” serve to bridge the gap between clinical and traditional healing.
Aggressive Assimilation
5′ Height
Wood, Steel & Found Object
2013
Canada’s dark residential school history, experienced by my own grandfather, lives in my memory through stories shared and Native tongue lost. Researching black and white photos of the original school, the sculpture takes its form as a representation of the steeple that stood atop of the structure and embodies what went on inside. Children were locked in at night; their own names were replaced by numbers, punishment for speaking one’s own language was often met with lashes from a yard stick. This work pays homage to the indignities experienced by my elders at the hands of the Canadian and Ontario government.
Ten Little Indians
Vinyl, Graphite, Audio Installation
2017
Ten little Injuns standin’ in a line,
One toddled home and then there were nine;
Nine little Injuns swingin’ on a gate,
One tumbled off and then there were eight.
Eight little Injuns gayest under heav’n.
One went to sleep and then there were seven;
Seven little Injuns cuttin’ up their tricks,
One broke his neck and then there were six.
Six little Injuns all alive,
One kicked the bucket and then there were five;
Five little Injuns on a cellar door,
One tumbled in and then there were four.
Four little Injuns up on a spree,
One got fuddled and then there were three;
Three little Injuns out on a canoe,
One tumbled overboard and then there were two
Two little Injuns foolin’ with a gun,
One shot t’other and then there was one;
One little Injun livin’ all alone,
He got married and then there were none.
Lyrics from 10 Little Injuns (1868) written by Septimus Winner.
“10 Little Indians” continues to be part of popular Nursery Rhyme collections in North America.
Stability/Instability: 39 Houses, The Narrative
Variable Size
Plaster and Hydrostone
2015
Unstable Footholds, Inadequate Housing, Relentless
6′ Height
Welded Steel and Taffeta
2015
Things I’ve Lost Along The Way Part 1 & Part 2
Altered Found Object
2014
Unfinished Work – Tribute
66” Width
Wood, Cheesecloth, Embroidery
2014
Quiet Comfort
4’ height
Plaster
2014
For most, childhood holds a sense of exploration, play and security. For some, however, it can be a time of uncertainty and loneliness. From experiences of my own past, I found I learned to take comfort in the little things; the way water dripped off the end of an icicle, the sound of my skates as they ground through lake ice, the sheer volume of quiet that winter brought forth through the muting effect of snow. Observing my surroundings and nature had a grounding effect and connected me to the land, removing me from the chaos of reality.
Daily Affirmations
Size Variable
Sandblasted Medicine Cabinets
2014
Whispering Winds
4′ height
Balsa wood, Tissue paper, Light
2012
Aylan Couchie 