'Nam'glatla - Standing As One

description

'Nam'glatla is a Kwakwala word that means 'standing as one' or 'working together as one'.

I created this work specifically for this year's Aboriginal Students Art Exhibit, March 16, 2012 to March 24, 2012.

The inspiration for this piece came from the title of the exhibit "I Like Your Status".

The exhibit name made me think about this term 'status' and how much I've never much liked being labeled this way. 

I am Kwagiulth. All other terms (status, non-status, on-reserve, off-reserve etc) flow from the federal government and its "Indian Act" or from colonial-minded policy-makers. 

This piece lists the names of 647 tribes in Canada. It is a work-in-progress, as some of the names are English variations of tribal names, while others are original tribal names, and still others are place-names for the villages of distinct tribes.  I will continue to research and verify all the names, and have also invited name & spelling corrections from First Nations individuals communities.

The canoe represents all of us moving forward, in the same canoe - standing as one, working as one, Na̱m'glatla.

Original digital design/typography by Lou-ann Neel, using Adobe Illustrator.