The first thing I noticed when looking at this painting was the dome, or almost like a tent, with a grandmother and children gathered around the fire. This relates to the Indigenous ways of knowing, which include storytelling.  In the art, the warm orange tones of the fire create a sense of warmth and comfort. These colors contrasting against the cool blues of the night sky, which give it a peaceful and calm feeling. The arrangement of the painting, like the flowing lines in the river, the trees and animals surrounding the family, gives it a peaceful, natural feeling showing how Indigenous communities lived in harmony before colonization. The painting is telling a story and making a connection through what you see, which is essentially what visual imagery is.

Looking at this painting, my initial thoughts were that it was so beautiful. The bold colors and the abstract art really brought the piece together. This painting also reminded me of the book Indian Horse. In the book, Saul tells his life story, which is what the whole book is about. At the beginning, the story describes the storytelling circle at the New Dawn Centre. That circle feels similar to the one in this painting where people gather to share stories and connect to let go of trauma. I believe this painting is important for others to engage with because I think the painting really shows lyrical and visual imagery in many ways and how there is a deep connection between people, nature, and traditions. It also helps others learn about the Indigenous way of life through this painting and teaches the importance of respecting Indigenous culture and history.

Smith, Astokomii. “I Am 10 Years Old.” 2018. Our Story: Indigenous Arts and Stories, Historica Canada, http://www.our-story.ca/winners/writing/6443:i-am-10-years-old

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqtmmXvLqtw&t=1s

To add on, the singer also says, “This is our brand, this is my clan, they tried to wipe us out,” where she gets her point across that Indigenous people have resisted colonization since the beginning. This line shows how colonizers tried to erase Indigenous culture, language, and traditions, but Indigenous peoples have tried to keep them alive and pass them on to future generations.

Lastly, one specific line in the song, “We don’t pay tax, this is our land,” reminded me of the First Contact show we watched in class. During the show, Ashley repeatedly mentioned that her tax money was going toward Indigenous communities thinking that the money was being misused. This line from the song challenges those misconceptions by reminding people that Indigenous peoples had rights to the land long before colonization. It also focuses and educating yourself before spreading false information and stereotypes.

This song was really powerful, and I think it wouldn’t be the same if the singer had done it differently. The song also made me think about how stereotypes affect the way people view Indigenous communities. I learned that through music, we can break down these harmful ideas and spread factual information.

Novalinga, Shina. [Shinanova]. "I want to show you my favourite peices from Proudly Indigenous Crafts & Designs." Tiktok, 11, June. 2021, https://www.tiktok.com/@shinanova/video/6972613916492958982?_r=1&_t=ZM-8t91w1OoxU5

Novalinga, Shina. [Shinanova]. "Here are 3 traditional inuit items which are all handmade." Tiktok, 6, November. 2021, https://www.tiktok.com/@shinanova/video/7027654343495142661?_r=1&_t=ZM-8ssZ2FGn61N

In the second Tiktok Shina is throat singing with her mother while wearing traditional Inuit clothing. This represents Indigenous traditional practices because it highlights a part of Inuit culture and show indigenous are reclaiming their traditions after colonization. Shina states “There was a time when Christian missionaries thought throat singing was demonic. We were told to stop, but we are proud to embrace our identity and keep our culture alive.”  This shows how colonizers tried to erase indigenous traditions by putting children into residential schools and punishing them if they spoke their mother’s tongue.  It also shows how Indigenous are trying to revive their cultural practices by sharing it with others who are not aware about it. While watching the video, I was very shocked, mainly because I was thinking about how something so beautiful and meaningful could be labeled as demonic. Watching Shina and her mother throat singing showed me how much harm was done by trying to erase these traditions. It taught me how important it is to support Indigenous cultures to keep them alive.

In the last video, Shina explains that in her culture, animals provide for her people, and she shows her favorite pieces from different Indigenous businesses. Not only is she representing her culture by sharing these cultural items, but she’s also explaining where the materials come from and why they’re important. Many non-Indigenous people think that Indigenous practices like hunting seals or whales harm sea life and lead to extinction, but that’s not true. Indigenous people use every part of the animal—meat, skin, fur—nothing is wasted. This reminded me of first contact when Jamie- Sue got anxious when they were hunting for seals when no part goes to waste. In this video, Shina helps educate others about this. My insight is that supporting Indigenous businesses is so important because it gives Indigenous people the chance to share their culture and traditions while also profiting from their work. Plus, you’re getting authentic materials. This video is a great reminder of why supporting these businesses while educating ourselves is so important.