THE INDIAN ACT

Art can express ideas in a powerful way. I saw this while reading Leanne Simpson's poem "I am graffiti". Her poem gave me the idea to collect the little bits of graffiti that aboriginal artists leave in our society, the small declarations that refuse to be erased. The art that says “we are here to stay”.

In the past 5 years at highschool I have learned about native history every year. I know the problem. But for me the problem is not personal. I don't truly feel the pain of native people. I think the best way to understand them is to listen to their stories. The best storytellers are often artists.

I have tried contacting all of these aboriginal artists. I asked them how the Indian Act affects them, how they would change the Indian Act if they could, and how their frustrations with the Indian Act affect their art. I may not hear directly back from all of them, but through their art, their story is told.  Their art is the graffiti message they leave on the walls of this world.

Click on each artist for the blog about them.