National Indigenous Peoples Day
June 21st is National Indigenous Peoples Day.
For millennia, Indigenous people of Turtle Island have celebrated today. The day with the longest light has great spiritual significance for Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island. On our calendars, traditionally, we call today the summer solstice.
Today, we’d like to ask you, our Swim Drink Fish community, to join us in celebrating what was declared in 1996, in our colonial system, National Indigenous Peoples Day.
Swim Drink Fish is very fortunate today to highlight a specially curated piece of art from Colleen Gray, in accordance with National Indigenous Peoples Day.
"Water is Life" by Colleen Gray
“I wanted the piece to reflect untarnished purity. Grandfather Sun is vital to the water and to the creatures who live in it. I like that the sun is central to the image much the way water is central to all life. Our Mother the Earth needs the sun and the water to create and sustain life so we can continue to learn and grow our potential as good humans who care for the water.” - Colleen Gray
Interview with Colleen Gray:
Can you please introduce yourself and tell us where you work and what you do?
My name is Colleen Gray and I am of Mi'kmaq, Acadian and Irish descent living in Smiths Falls, Ontario. I am a full time volunteer running Art for Aid, an initiative that has been putting art supplies and outdoor program supplies into remote Indigenous schools in Canada for 10 years.
Could you tell us about your personal connection to the water?
I am a woman and live Indigenously so my connection to water runs in my blood. My Mother's people are from the east and connected to the ocean through the life they lived there. I know with everything that I am that without healthy water we cannot have a healthy planet, cannot have a healthy life and will definitely not have a healthy future. I teach about the importance of caring for our only home by using my art to convey important messages about how to live well on this beautiful blue planet.
Tell us about Art for Aid?
Art for Aid was established in 2013 when I discovered that there was little to no access to quality art learning tools for Indigenous youth in remote schools. Being an artist is such an integral part of me. I recognize the inherent positive benefits of working artistically to break isolation, invite critical thinking and ignite the imagination. Art is a universal form of expression that requires no language to connect with it. That's important for young people who may feel they don't have a loud enough voice to be heard, and youth have much to say.
What is the story behind this piece?
"Water is Life" - these are 3 words that pretty much everyone on Turtle Island (North America) has heard in the past 10 years. These words are a human truth that many people of privilege have never had to think about until we began waking up to the crisis of the planet's fresh and saltwater resources. So when I was invited to create a piece of work that reflected the foundation of Swim Drink Fish, I felt that familiar tug on my imagination that tells me there's a painting waiting in the wings to come forward. I felt that the work should be round to reflect our only home and the home of the First Water - the Star Water. I wanted something to represent life here and chose a creature of the water to create the great wave of change that we will all need to connect to if we are to help our planet's water sources become whole again. As the paint developed and took shape, I felt the strength of the giant wave of change that is sure to bring better things for our world's water.
How is your work influenced by your connection with water ?
I am a watercolour artist so creating using this vital element is important to me. I offer my thanks to the water that I work with because it's the voice of the water and the colours of the paint moving beneath my hand that create the images. Water is such a large part of everything I do. It is a part of my spiritual practice and a part of all my ceremonial steps. It truly is a representation of all life everywhere on this planet with a unique beauty that should be respected and known by every single person who uses water.
Do you have anything else that you’d like to share about your work, your connection to water, or how we can encourage Indigenous voices to join the movement for a swimmable, drinkable, fishable future?
I think whenever an artist creates work it sends out a ripple of energy into the world that quietly affects everything. I recognize this when I create and consider it to be a tremendous gift from the Creator to be able to paint and create things as they are pulled from the ether and brought to life. I believe the Indigenous youth who are growing up today and are recognizing the vital importance of clean water will have much to teach us in the years ahead. To swim in clean water is a powerful gift - we are born through water, arrive in this world on a wave and spend the rest of our days nourishing our bodies with it. Fish are an integral part of the Indigenous food chain around the world. Indigenous people respect this and respect the fact that the bountiful resources provided by our Mother the Earth are not infinite when we look at how harvesting is practiced today. We must change how we see the waters of the world and we must change it now. The time for talk has come and gone. We do not need more committees, more symposiums, more consortiums, more votes, more research.The whole world knows the crisis we are in and the whole world must change how they see this essential resource. That has to happen today - now.
Across the land, Indigenous peoples will gather and share in ceremonies and traditions that have been carried out for thousands of years. As a community, we acknowledge that Canada has, for decades, been part of a concerted effort to eradicate the culture and languages being celebrated today.
With that in mind, we acknowledge that we are not the group to support today. As a group of settlers, we’re providing resources for you to help celebrate and learn, not just today, but everyday.
Find an event and activity in your community through this interactive map.
Indigenous Corporate Training inc has a province-by-province list of events.
Share your experience on social media by using the #NIPD2022 and #NIPDCanada hashtags.