Just a friendly reminder that a good alternative to “spirit animal” is animagus or patronus & if you feel like you can’t use these terms because you’re not in the Harry Potter fandom then you need to seriously re-evaluate why you value pop culture over actual living cultures.
If you had no prior knowledge about Residential Schools until you heard about the 215 children’s remains that were uncovered recently.... you should absolutely be outraged by the level at which you were lied to; by the secrets kept from you about the true history of “Canada”.
I can’t get over the fact that Indigenous water and land protectors are ALWAYS met with police violence yet this trucker convoy, which has brought out white supremacists, is being not only allowed but widely celebrated. Thanks, Canada, for further proving how unloved we are.
“An Indigenous mother may receive $600 on welfare to feed her children. The foster care system can say that's not good enough, take the child and put it in a home, and give that home $1800 to feed those children.”
Thread.
May 5th is the National Day of Awareness for MMIWGT2S and I wanted to share this portrait I created of Patience Commanda. Patience is a youth in my community with a passion for remembering & honouring our kin who have suffered at the hands of colonialism.
First Nations should not be paying to uncover the graves at residential schools. The government should cease spending millions to fight residential school survivors in court and pay to check all institutions of genocide.
When I was in high school, our Indigenous Studies course was taught by a white man. For a film portion of the class, the (few) Natives in the class begged for Smoke Signals. But he INSISTED he had a better movie for us and it was fucking AVATAR. 😩😩
This tweet is for anyone who thinks they are too much or not enough. I am sorry that people have made you feel burdensome, over-emotional, too sensitive, un-worthy of love and attention. You are worthy of all that is good and your emotions are valid. I see you, and I <3 you
I originally made this for Canada 150, but I’m just going to repost it every year because we resist every. fucking. day. I made this in honour of all my relations who resist by existing; who survive and thrive; We do not celebrate Kkkanada. We celebrate Indigenous excellence.
I’m freaking out a little right now. I have to get better photos of it but my largest digital mural printed on vinyl has been installed in Toronto!!! If you’re in the area, check it out and take some pics for me! It’s in the Leuty boathouse in the beaches!
Today is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous womxn And Girls. I made this piece for those of us who feel like we are drowning in statistics; for those of us who have wounds caused by colonialism- wounds that are re-opened when our sisters are taken.
I originally made this for Canada 150, and I’m just going to repost it every year. I refuse to celebrate 155 years of genocide, ongoing colonial violence, erasure and systemic racism. 🧵
I’m so exhausted from doing all the portraits of the relations lost in the James Smith Cree Nation tragedy. It was a short turnaround for a lot of portraiture (5 days) and heavy on the heart. I hope my portraits make the families happy in this dark time. ❤️
I’m all for educating folks about Indigenous culture because visibility is important. But I’ll be god damned if I believe catholic students should learn how to build birch bark canoes before our own children on our reserves.
The Time We Fought Covid And Won ❤️
I know this is a story we’ll tell for years
About how we don’t know how we got it.
About how we made homemade chicken soup and wore masks in the house.
And how we prevented three of the kids from getting it too.
Happy 80th birthday
@BuffySteMarie
! Miigwech for your influence and voice 🌼 this portrait was commissioned by
@audible_ca
and you can head over there to listen to Buffy’s authorized biography!
When ndns celebrate Thanksgiving it becomes a contentious issue because of its colonial origins. However I’d like to remind people how giving thanks is embedded in Indigenous practices and if we choose to gather with our families to feast, there should be no finger pointing.
I am so angry at
@instagram
for censoring and silencing Indigenous voices by deleting our posts about MMIWGT2S. You are contributing to the erasure of the issues we are trying to amplify and expose.
I am so excited to announce the
@GreatLakesBeer
label for the Celebrating Sisters project organized by the Indigenous Brew Crew & Do Better Be Better to raise awareness about MMIWG2S and donate money to Indigenous women’s organizations.
Do not feel ashamed for finding comfort in food.
Do not shame others for finding comfort in food.
These are unprecedented times, and everyone deserves to do what they can to take care of their spirits.
Our value is not based on the size, shape or weight of our bodies.
Indigenous subsistence hunting is more ethical than factory farming. If you want to fight against animal cruelty, start there, not with us. As an Anishinaabe harvester & fisher, I know first hand that our practices are sustainable and embedded with care and reciprocity.
It’s okay to set boundaries.
It’s okay to mourn traditions that are broken when you set boundaries to protect your spirit and mental health.
It’s okay to take the space you need.
It’s okay to feel lonely.
It’s okay to miss your family.
The holidays are hard. But you got this
I’m sad as fuck that I have to say this but all racialized folks please stay safe with these new restrictions. I know the police are going to be unfairly targeting. Got me all kinds of worried for my kin. All kinds of angry. Tears in my eyes.
My sister in law and I made this cake today 🌸❤️ Check my IG story and highlights for info on how to support Mi’kma’ki, Secwepemc, Wet’suwet’en, 1492 Land Back Lane in Six Nations and the Moose Moratorium.
I don’t think it’s a character flaw to lack sympathy for a group of people who knowingly, violently & unsympathetically colonized & “conquered” lands & people. I don’t feel bad for a second that they lost someone because many of us lost a lot more because of them.
Today I painted this mural with my sister
@moniqueaura
at Beverly and D’Arcy downtown Toronto near
@agotoronto
and
@OCAD
.
A Tribute to Talequah and her baby calf.
Please read the following thread ❤️
But please do not use this outrage to perform allyship or mine info from Indigenous folks. Don’t cry at us, tell us it’s shocking, or ask us to teach you more. All of the information you seek is literally at your fingertips...we have been screaming it into the abyss for forever.
Today is about expression of love. As Indigenous folks living amongst various forms of family, kin and community, we know love is boundless and shape shifting. We know love isn’t commercial. We know it’s something that’s felt and shared. (Thread)
My climate anxiety is bad.
We are all just expected to continue participating in a capitalist system while we are literally on the verge of a mass extinction within the next 100 years. This is not sustainable. This is TERRIFYING.
Did senate really just create a statutory holiday for truth and reconciliation instead of taking concrete action or listening to what any of us are saying? What?!!!
I made this last year for the dreaded Canada 150 hyper-nationalistic-giant-rubber-ducky celebrations. But I think I’m just going to repost it every year because we resist every. fucking. day.
Boudoir photos should not be the reason for any woman to have to step aside from any roles she is choosing to take in her life, be it political, professional or personal.
As a woman, being assertive often gets misconstrued as aggressive. Specifically as an Indigenous woman, when I am assertive, I am often made to feel like I shouldn’t be; like I shouldn’t assert my rights; like maybe I don’t deserve to even have rights or autonomy. Fuck that.
So funny when racists equate technology with colonization. If we say we are anti-colonial we immediately get told to get off our phones, as though Indigenous Nations weren’t always developing useful, sustainable, advanced and innovative technologies.
Tfw a dude makes art for same brewers, same project, same message, but doesn’t get accused of not being accountable; not asked about consultation; not expected to speak for everyone.
The issues go further than misogyny but damn. Look at this misogyny.
I wanted to share my bird not in the context of a can design because I have a lot of respect for the trajectory of healing this lil pal set us on. I might make prints if anyone is interested ❤️
"I kill savages because that's my job." Fuck you all for thinking this is the type of movie we need right now. The widowed white woman gets your empathy. The white man will eventually get your sympathy. But the Indians remain emotionless, objectified. Enough is enough.
Deleted a tweet about wanting a partner because everyone wants to tell me that being alone is better, meanwhile I lived alone for 9 years and was single for 8 of them. I have a blast w my fam & I’m good at being alone. But I’m just tired of being shamed for wanting a partner.
This is Nibi! She’s the main character of the children’s book that I’ve been working on in collab with Scholastic & Sunshine! With Ludo by her side, she passionately sets out to find clean water & educate people! I’m excited for you all to read this ❤️ stay tuned ❤️
This is a variation of my floral designs that I’ve been working on whenever I need to release some energy. A lot of sad nights, calm evenings with coffees and cigarettes, slow mornings, and days when I have extra creativity have gone into this. ❤️
The amplification of Indigenous voices does not equal the suppression of anyone else’s voices. When Indigenous people are sharing ideas, we are NOT taking away your freedom of speech.
This message is for white settlers who wanna uphold the system that only they benefit from.
A note to organizations who strive to include indigenous voices in their public programming: stop 👏🏼 waiting 👏🏼 until 👏🏼 the 👏🏼 last 👏🏼 minute 👏🏼 to 👏🏼 try 👏🏼 to 👏🏼 schedule 👏🏼 Indig 👏🏼 guests 👏🏼 and schedule us in when you schedule everyone else.
Nibi’s Water Song is a
@scholasticCDA
children’s book written by Sunshine Tenasco
@HERBRAIDS
& illustrated by me 💖 We want to educate about the unequal access to clean water in Canada while also inspiring young Indigenous folx to stay strong and fight for what they believe in.
Tomorrow night, deep in the mountains of Papua New Guinea, after 5 months of teaching that started in Genesis 1:1, the gospel will be presented to the Amdu people for the first time in their known history. Please be praying for the missionary team. (A shot of their location)
My cousin Tia Tolles has been missing for two weeks. She’s from Moose Deer Point and could be in the Midland or Parry Sound areas. If you know anything please let me know and I’ll pass the info on to my auntie.
Tia if you see this- I love you and you have a safe place here ❤️
I hate the discrepancy between “gendered” styles of boots and clothing. The women’s section is garbage always. Can we just start making good, hearty, useful shit for everyone???
I love painting drums ❤️✨ I tend to mostly paint them in the winter months- not sure if there is a teaching about this but it’s just the natural flow of how I work. *sold*
Residential schools were absolutely a tool of genocide. The intent was to use religion, abuse-tactics and torture to “remove the Indian from the child” (John A. Macdonald said that about the desired final result of residential schools). To deny this is fucked up.