Herring People — Dogfish I, II, III, IV

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Media: Hand-pulled Serigraph

Year: 2016

Edition I: 1 - 145/145 s/n

Edition II: 1 - 55/55 s/n

Edition III: 1 - 55/55 s/n

Edition IV: 1 - 45/45 s/n

Herring People — Dogfish

For my ancestors, the primary purpose of art is to reveal a parallel reality that is visible only in our minds—to share a glimpse of Supernatural Beings, with the world of Human Beings. Educated in science and with a spirit drawn to art, I see Earth as one great Being—with rock as skeleton and running water as veins and arteries, great oceans as hearts—sustaining ecosystems. All as an interconnected biome—a web of life living, at least on the surface, symbiotically: as prey, and as predator.

Iinang Xaadee—Herring People play a vital role in the ecosystem. They nurture, feed, give of themselves to keep beings alive in all realms— undersea, earth, and sky. When balance prevails, Herring People gather to dance in their great longhouse in such great numbers and with such vigour that the atmosphere overhead reverberates with their excitement. Now, Human Beings see Herring solely as a resource, blinded, not seeing their true value, only seeing monetary gain at the expense of the whole.

“Let me see you, so that I can tell your story.” These words fly with an arcing toss into the ether as I traverse the natural world with thoughts turned to encountering the Supernatural. As a Yahguu’jaanaas Raven Clan member, K’a.ad—Dogfish/Shark mask is lobbed to me, accompanied by the query, “Can you do the Shark Dance?” Apprehension first engulfing, and then evaporating as I transform into Dogfish Woman and enter the undersea world, a place where the Herring People give their lives so I can live. Gina waadluxan gud ad kwaagiida—Everything depends on everything else (Interconnectedness)