Artworks

I wanted to honour the thriving coastal culture here by depicting a canoe, along with the bull kelp. The clams are a major part of coastal food systems and technology. They’re shown in the clouds to remind us of the interconnectedness of all things. Lekwungen translates to “place to smoke herring” so there are four herring swimming in the same direction to honour the fish, language, land, and Lekwungen people. Native plants/medicine grow out of the canoe, again acknowledging that the land and water are intimately connected. The raindrop symbolizes the first WSANEC person from the sky and honours life-giving water. My favourite thing about this design is that the viewer doesn’t know if they’re underwater, on land, or in the sky. I really wanted to emphasize that there is no differentiation between these spaces. Everything is connected and should not be looked at in isolation.

Creations and ideas from the works of Sarah Jim are inspired by the absolute beauty of the lands and waters in which the W̱SÁNEĆ people have stewarded since time immemorial. Sarah is a visual artist from the small village of Tseycum in W̱SÁNEĆ. Although she has received a bachelor’s degree of Fine Arts from the University of Victoria, most of her work and teachings are self-taught and community based. These works are reflections of land-based relationships; ecosystems, the connection between human and non-human kin, and the power of restorative practices. Creating artwork has been a valuable way of advocating for indigenous ecosystems and ways of being, along with being a powerful form of medicine.