Indigenous Arts & Stories - Videos

When I found out about this, I thought it was a really, really great opportunity just for myself personally, and to get my message out there.

With my piece I really wanted to make a commentary on the dying Aboriginal languages around Canada and North America.

This competition probably represents one of the milestones in my career. I definitely think it’s something that I can look back to and just progress further on.

It’s definitely helping me recognize my own Aboriginal heritage, and this is definitely where I would like to further expand with my art. I would definitely like to be considered one of the forerunners of contemporary Aboriginal art, and evolve that later into my career.

Traditionally speaking, Aboriginal art and stories were used as a way to pass down knowledge and life lessons, and things like that, so I think including it in today’s culture and society is very important.

Our traditions really speak towards our identity and who we are, and I think that if we let those go, if our languages just slowly die out, and if our traditional art pieces die as well, I think that as Aboriginal people ourselves, we lose who we are.

There are definitely lots of times when I thought to myself ‘I can’t do this, I can’t bring my ideas to life, it’s just, it’s too hard.’ And you trip, and you stumble, but definitely just keep working at it and keep pushing, and you get there. And just…stay motivated.