About this piece:

August 2024, Digital Art

Naujaq or aka seagull are an important part of teaching amongst Inuit especially in children, this one sets the mood to give it a sense of connection to our environment and utilizing our environment to continue to use our mother tongue.

About the Artist:

Nancy ᒪᑭᑦᑐᖅ Mike 

Location: Iqaluit, Nunavut

Nancy ᒪᑭᑦᑐᖅ Mike is a talented multimedia artist from Iqaluit, Nunavut, with a diverse range of skills including throat singing, accordion playing, visual arts, and writing. A dedicated mother of four, she is also a nurse and was previously a member of the Iqaluit-based band, ‘The Jerry Cans.’ Nancy performs many of her songs in Inuktitut, driven by her passion for preserving the Inuktut/Inuktitut language. Through her artistic endeavors, she is committed to representing Inuit culture, while challenging common misconceptions about life in Nunavut. 

About this piece:

August 2024, Digital Art

Summer blooms are not always the same, this years observation was this feeling of everything blooming beautifully and smelling so good. 

About the Artist:

Nancy ᒪᑭᑦᑐᖅ Mike 

Location: Iqaluit, Nunavut

Nancy ᒪᑭᑦᑐᖅ Mike is a talented multimedia artist from Iqaluit, Nunavut, with a diverse range of skills including throat singing, accordion playing, visual arts, and writing. A dedicated mother of four, she is also a nurse and was previously a member of the Iqaluit-based band, ‘The Jerry Cans.’ Nancy performs many of her songs in Inuktitut, driven by her passion for preserving the Inuktut/Inuktitut language. Through her artistic endeavors, she is committed to representing Inuit culture, while challenging common misconceptions about life in Nunavut. 

About this piece:

August 2024, Digital Art

Inuit story-telling is a very important tool for teaching. The Snow Goose wife represents knowledge, being patient, and being aware of your surroundings. 

About the Artist:

Nancy ᒪᑭᑦᑐᖅ Mike 

Location: Iqaluit, Nunavut

Nancy ᒪᑭᑦᑐᖅ Mike is a talented multimedia artist from Iqaluit, Nunavut, with a diverse range of skills including throat singing, accordion playing, visual arts, and writing. A dedicated mother of four, she is also a nurse and was previously a member of the Iqaluit-based band, ‘The Jerry Cans.’ Nancy performs many of her songs in Inuktitut, driven by her passion for preserving the Inuktut/Inuktitut language. Through her artistic endeavors, she is committed to representing Inuit culture, while challenging common misconceptions about life in Nunavut. 

About this piece:

August 2024, Digital Art

These ravens give a sense of feeling when you feel aligned with your mind, body, and spirit. 

About the Artist:

Nancy ᒪᑭᑦᑐᖅ Mike 

Location: Iqaluit, Nunavut

Nancy ᒪᑭᑦᑐᖅ Mike is a talented multimedia artist from Iqaluit, Nunavut, with a diverse range of skills including throat singing, accordion playing, visual arts, and writing. A dedicated mother of four, she is also a nurse and was previously a member of the Iqaluit-based band, ‘The Jerry Cans.’ Nancy performs many of her songs in Inuktitut, driven by her passion for preserving the Inuktut/Inuktitut language. Through her artistic endeavors, she is committed to representing Inuit culture, while challenging common misconceptions about life in Nunavut. 

About this piece:

August 2024, Digital Art

Plants are medicine and this one gives me peace.  

About the Artist:

Nancy ᒪᑭᑦᑐᖅ Mike 

Location: Iqaluit, Nunavut

Nancy ᒪᑭᑦᑐᖅ Mike is a talented multimedia artist from Iqaluit, Nunavut, with a diverse range of skills including throat singing, accordion playing, visual arts, and writing. A dedicated mother of four, she is also a nurse and was previously a member of the Iqaluit-based band, ‘The Jerry Cans.’ Nancy performs many of her songs in Inuktitut, driven by her passion for preserving the Inuktut/Inuktitut language. Through her artistic endeavors, she is committed to representing Inuit culture, while challenging common misconceptions about life in Nunavut. 

About this piece:

A part of healing from the genocidal trauma and harm of residential schools is the strength of Indigenous communities and families proudly learning, teaching, and practicing Indigenous cultural traditions. Future generations grow stronger based on the courage, joy, and perseverance of Indigenous youth embracing their language, songs, stories, and dance.

About the Artist:

Karlene Harvey (she/they) is Tsilhqot’in and Syilx and lives in East Vancouver, British Columbia. Karlene has illustrated several children’s picture books including Every Child Matters, Kaiah’s Garden, Drum from the Heart and Maggie Lou, Firefox. They are currently working on a comic project that will explore aspects of identity, cultural connection, Tsilhqot’in basket weaving, and trickster stories. Karlene holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in visual arts from Emily Carr Institute of Arts and Design and a Master of Arts in English Literature from the University of British Columbia. They currently work at UBC as an academic advisor for Indigenous students in the Faculty of Arts. Creatively, Karlene continues to explore facets of their cultural identity and has a great appreciation for stories that explore elements of magic, multi-dimensions, family, and humour.

Visit their website: karleneharvey.com

About this piece:

li toneur de la tayr (Michif: land thunder). Design is inspired by the buffalo‘s resilience: from struggle and near extinction to thriving, growing populations. It draws parallels to many of our Indigenous nations and peoples over the last 100+ years, but the final message is the same: We are still here. The unhidden Buffalo shakes the earth with each step. The florals transition from faded, hidden and in the background to bursting with colour and full of life: A celebration of our peoples presence & strength.

Artist Biography:

Jordan Skipper, Creative Director & Graphic Designer

With strong Michif lineage in St Boniface & the White Horse Plains; Raised in Beausejour, MB and later moved to Winnipeg to attend the University of Winnipeg where he graduated with two degrees: International Development Studies and Environmental Studies (2014). He then went on to work in the Indigenous non-profit sector and supervised government-funded programming for almost 8 years where he gained important experience in front-line support work and program administration. While always developing his personal artistic skill in graphic design, he decided after having a family that it was time to pursue his heart work. While continuing building up his family and reclaiming his French-Michif heritage, Jordan seeks to be a role model for Metis artists and entrepreneurs.

About this piece:

Jade Roberts is a Woodland Cree artist and illustrator. niska is the Cree word for goose, niskak – geese. This piece showcases geese taking flight from the water during an evening sunset. To me, this symbolizes freedom from limitations and a cycle of transformation reminding us that we can go anywhere and do anything we set our heart on.

Artist Biography:

Jade Roberts – educator, artist, and podcaster is a Woodland Cree woman from Lac La Ronge Indian Band. She currently resides in Treaty 6 Territory in Saskatoon, SK. Roberts graduated from ITEP at the University of Saskatchewan in 2018 and went on to teach an elementary art and Cree culture program.

Jade is a trailblazer for Indigenous podcasting in Saskatchewan – she created the podcast Still Here Still Healing to bring awareness to the impacts of residential schools, share survivors stories, and feature discussions with youth on topics such as culture, language, identity, and community. Jade recently launched a second podcast titled The Sobriety Circle where she co-hosts and discusses her journey with sobriety.

Jade is a digital and traditional artist. In her digital work she is influenced by her Cree culture to create digital pieces that express Indigenous futurism and spark conversations about language, history, and identity. In her more traditional artwork she is focused on using land-based approaches to create as she experiments with painting and wood burning birch bark, fish skin tanning, and beading.

In addition, Jade is a CBC Saskatchewan Future 40 Award winner, her podcast was nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award in 2020 & 2022, her artwork has been published in SAY Magazines 100th edition and The Polyglot.

Visit her Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/jaderrr94/

About this piece:

Emma Hassencahl-Perley is a Wolasotqey (Wolastoqiyik) visual artist from Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation) in New Brunswick. This work titled mawi (together/ in a group) is inspired by Geese, their teachings about community, and the importance of maintaining strong relationships. Two symmetrical Geese are positioned in flight over Wabanaki double-curve iconography, which, when clustered together, can reference the relationships within a family or community. The half-sun symbolizes this territory — Wabanakik — where the sun first rises in the day.

Artist Biography:

Emma Hassencahl – Perley is a Wolastoqiyik artist from Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation) in New Brunswick. Specializing in beadwork, murals, and digital illustration, Emma’s art is a reflection of her identity as an ehpit (woman) and Wolastoqwiw citizen of the Wabanaki Confederacy. Her work draws on the rich visual traditions of her nation, with themes that explore water, Wabanaki feminisms, and the Wabanaki double-curve motif—a symbol representing relationships, nationhood and community. These motifs form both a cultural and aesthetic foundation in Emma’s practice, linking ancestral Wabanaki material culture with digital storytelling techniques.

In 2023, she was one of four artists selected by MawiArt and Hockey Canada to paint hockey sticks for the IIHF World Junior Championship in Halifax and Moncton. Emma has exhibited work nationally and internationally, at venues such as: the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Portland Museum of Art, SOFA in Chicago, and La Biennale d’art contemporain autochtone (BACA).

In addition to her work as an artist, Emma is the Curator of Indigenous Art at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton and teaches Indigenous Art History in the Wabanaki Visual Art Program at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Mount Allison University (2017) and a Master of Arts in Art History from Concordia University (2022).

Visit her Instagram Account here

About this piece:

Ruby Bruce is an Anishinaabe and Red River Métis artist and illustrator. Geese are seen flying in the sky with a large sun behind them, a mountain cliff on either side, and a lake below. Creator, often known as God or the source that is life, is symbolized by the blazing sun. The geese represent the value of interaction, collaboration, and community. This artwork symbolizes community, teamwork, and interconnection

Artist Biography:

Ruby Bruce is a passionate contemporary artist, an engaged art activist, and a proud, young mother. Her dedication to enhancing indigenous art and education has been recognized with the national Indspire Award in the Métis Youth Category in May 2023.

Growing up in the Métis community of Saint Laurent, Manitoba, Ruby’s art is deeply influenced by her culture, the local fauna, and flora, celebrating the beauty of the land she was raised on. Her artwork is not limited to canvas and digital media; she has contributed to temporary and permanent art installations across various locations in Canada. Her creative bike lock designs can be seen in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, and her artwork has been showcased on a billboard in Downtown Toronto. Ruby is also dedicated to teaching, offering art workshops both in-person and online that highlight indigenous themes through a variety of mediums, including using storytelling, photography, and traditional crafts, rooted in Métis, Cree, and Anishinaabe cultures.

Ruby’s work is more than just art; it’s a form of activism. She uses her talents to bring attention to social issues and promote truth and reconciliation, aiming to build stronger communities and foster social change.

Currently balancing her role as a gallery attendant at a Winnipeg art gallery while she studies for a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Winnipeg, Ruby is working towards a project that seeks to support and elevate young indigenous artists in her community. This project reflects her commitment to her community and her aspirations to make a difference through her artistic and entrepreneurial pursuits.

Visit her Instagram Account here

About this piece:

Karlene Harvey (she/they) is a Tsilhqot’in and Syilx illustrator and writer. This image centres on the imagination and joy of Indigenous youth. Arms outstretched, the future glows bright and is filled with transformative hope. The geese can guide the way home, all one needs to do is look up.

Artist Biography:

Karlene Harvey (she/they) is an illustrator and writer, who lives on the unceded and ancestral home territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tseil-Waututh people. Karlene is Tsilhqot’in and Syilx and grew up on territories of the Semiahmoo and Kwantlen Nations. They have illustrated several children’s book, including Drum From The Heart, Every Child Matters, Maggie Lou, Firefox and Kaiah’s Garden (forthcoming).

Karlene studied at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, earning a BFA in Visual Arts. She earned a Master of Arts in English Literature from the University of British Columbia in 2022. Professionally, she has developed a career that centers on community building and developing leadership capacity amongst women and youth. They work at UBC as an Academic Advisor for Indigenous students. Karlene is happy to share they are currently working on several children’s books that will have release dates in 2024-2025.

Visit her Instagram Account here

About this piece:

Nancy Mike is an Inuk multi-disciplinary artist who was raised in Pangniqtuuq, Nunavut (Tariurnittut). Nirlitt, which means snow geese in Inuktitut, conveys the importance of leadership to take care of our land (nuna), the animals surrounding us and our people. Inuit have always protected our land through our way of doing and knowing, this piece conveys the leadership presented by our people long ago and today.

Artist Biography:

Nancy Mike was raised in Pangnirtuuq (Pangnirtung), Nunavut, and continues to maintain close ties with the community. She is a throat singer, songwriter, accordion player, visual artist, and writer and she is passionate about sharing stories of life growing up in Nunavut. Currently, Nancy lives in Iqaluit, Nunavut, and works as a Research Associate for Family & Community Health with Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre. She travelled around the world with a band called The Jerry Cans where her biggest passion was to empower other Indigenous people across the globe. Nancy is also an anaana (mother) to three beautiful girls and hopes to inspire them to love their culture and language and to embrace intellectual endeavours as Indigenous people themselves.

Visit her Instagram Account here

About this piece:

Tehatsistahawi Kennedy is an Anishinaabe and Onyota’a:ka Woodland Style Artist from Beausoleil First Nation and Oneida Nation of the Thames. “Connectivity and balance are two feelings I wanted to invoke when drawing and colouring this art piece. With the Vision and Goal of the EleV program in mind, I decided to draw five geese flying together while vibrant florals connect and surround them all. I wanted all the geese to be equally coloured and take up the same amount of space. The florals and lines that surround them; however, are all unique in colour variations, representing the unique aspirations, obstacles, and stories each Indigenous individual carries into the world.

Artist Biography:

Tsista Kennedy is an Anishinaabe Onyota’a:aka artist from Beausoleil First Nation and Oneida Nation of the Thames. He is self-taught and often creates his work digitally, also working with ink on watercolour and sketchbook paper. Tsista’s variation of Woodland style can be recognized by semi-bold black lines, intricate patterns, and vibrant colors; all of which work together to make the artwork flow elegantly across the canvas. Because of his ability to convey stories and messages through his artwork, Tsista Kennedy has been commissioned by countless organizations, universities, and businesses to have their visions portrayed through his art.

Tsista Kennedy’s artwork isn’t solely rooted in Indigenous traditionalism, nor is it solely focused on Indigenous modernism, it’s a merging of the two. With his personal experiences and stories thrown into the mix, combining these two perspectives provides the inspiration behind some of Tsista Kennedy’s artwork today. Being a frequent daydreamer however, many of his best art pieces simply begin as an image popping up in his head.

Visit his Instagram Account here