We Stand On Guard
2011
Black wool stroud, smoke tanned caribou hide, mix media
29 x 31.25 inches

Indigenous Art Centre, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC)


CBC’s coverage of then Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Northern Sovereignty Tour prompted me to create We Stand On Guard. This political tour was to reinforce Canadian sovereignty over the Arctic boundaries and standing surety over these disputed lands and waters.

One of the many responsibilities my maternal Grandmother had, as a young girl, was to carry embers from one campsite to the next, whatever the distance or weather. They were carried nestled close to her heart and carefully removed to relight a precious flame.

We Stand On Guard shows an Inuk woman standing outside and listening. Standing guard in the night. She is listening to the night, listening to her daughter dance by the fire’s embers, all are safe. She is content.

This piece was created to honour my Grandmother and all those who have carried and passed that flame to us.

I now pass it to You.

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