Mission

My father’s work has been recognized by the Squamish people and other Coast Salish nations and has made a significant difference provincially and globally in building community bridges.  The power of his work has created a path for me to follow. He has helped me to develop an awareness of the importance of seeing health and strength in diversity rather than division and conflict.

There is honour and responsibility in carrying on the teachings of my people. The example that my father provides has led me toward a deeply felt connection to the past and the future of First Nations people. I have been tasked with honouring the legacy of intense spirituality, as well as with acknowledging the burden of the travesty of colonization and its aftermath.  As a member of the younger generation, I am aware of the responsibility I have to acknowledge the damage that has affected indigenous peoples, to embrace the power and truth of Aboriginal traditions and to celebrate the beginning of reconciliation. 

My personal professional goal is to continually challenge non-Native and Native assumptions of what is traditionally, spiritually and environmentally ethical.  My goal is to create art that pushes the boundaries of First Nations cultural traditions. As a young First Nations person, I would like to honour and respect my traditional heritage.  As a contemporary artist, I feel the urge and the need to create something new and different.  I want to broaden the place held by Native art and culture in the world of contemporary art by using traditional and modern materials to create work that can speak to the integrity and power of traditional Aboriginal forms and shapes while challenging the audience to place indigenous art firmly within the art community at large.