2018

acrylic sheets, aircraft cable, aluminum hardware

Permanent public artwork installed in the Law Pavilion at Queens University (Kingston, Ontario)

words that are lasting is based upon six existing Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe wampum belts: Everlasting Tree, Dish and One Spoon, Ojibwa Friendship, Old Fort, Council Fire and Kahswentha or Two Row. In the patterns, squares and diamonds signify the council fires of distinct nations. Vertical lines indicate the bonds between them. The seventh unit however, is an invention. Its blue colour is a reminder of the Bay of Quinte and the sky. Its three diamonds honour the Kanyenkehá:ka, the Algonquin and the Mississauga: the three nations that are the custodians of this territory. Together, the seven belts speak to the past, present and future of Indigenous relationships.

Nyawenkó:wa to Alan Corbière, Kanonhsyonne Janice C. Hill and Jonathan Lainey for their assistance with this project.

version française du texte à venir