ASL
Audio
Transcript
*text in italics is either emphasized or whispered
(rattle shaking, spinning)
(drum heartbeat)
Artificial lights are masking the stars
Circadian rhythms have changed
Have we forgotten? (whispered)
The land wants us to remember
The land wants us to remember
The land wants us to remember
Land back, land back, land back, land baaaaaack
K-K-Kanada preys upon our memory (growled)
I’m still here
I’m still here
I’m still here
The Canadian flag is soaked in blood
HraAGHHHHhhhh
Capitalist, colonial, oppressive and hungry
A hunger that cannot be satiated
Take take take take take take take take take take take take take …
A thirst that no drink can quench
wooshhhhhhhhhh
At some point in our lives, we will all experience a hole
In our hearts,
In our bellies,
In our spirits.
And sometimes, we gobble up poison and pray for relief
(deep breath)
(drumming)
Lean in to the tree,
and flow through, down, to the roots
Taste the waters that run far below the surface
I have memory of the stars in each cell
I have memory of the stars in each cell (softer)
We all have memory from the stars
Do you remember?
Do you remember?
rrrRRROOTS rrAGH rRRumble and QUAKE (roared)
SHIFT, and lift (lighter), lift, lift, lift, lift,
lift into the light
(long sip breath in)
The warmth of the noon time sun
clears the sticky darkness
that’s been lingering on my edges.
Rot and decay has fed new life
Trust. Be. Breathe.
(full and round breaths out)
Breathe with the ebb and flow of the
Entirety of creation
For the tide is no different than you or I
The same cycles that my ancestors saw
The same cycles that my ancestors saw
I reach with all my might to that life-giving starlight (smiling)
(breath out)
Into the land, I grow
And counting, from turtle shell calendars
The same cycles the ancestors saw
The same cycles the ancestors saw
You are here now.
You are the seed.
Encapsulated, contained, safe (breath in)
And loved beyond measure.
Take a moment, my dear.
And when you move from here,
Feel your heart beat.
(Breaths in and out)
(Drumming heartbeat)
(rattle shaking, spinning)
(drum heartbeat)
Artificial lights are masking the stars
Circadian rhythms have changed
Have we forgotten? (whispered)
The land wants us to remember
The land wants us to remember
The land wants us to remember
Land back, land back, land back, land baaaaaack
K-K-Kanada preys upon our memory (growled)
I’m still here
I’m still here
I’m still here
The Canadian flag is soaked in blood
HraAGHHHHhhhh
Capitalist, colonial, oppressive and hungry
A hunger that cannot be satiated
Take take take take take take take take take take take take take …
A thirst that no drink can quench
wooshhhhhhhhhh
At some point in our lives, we will all experience a hole
In our hearts,
In our bellies,
In our spirits.
And sometimes, we gobble up poison and pray for relief
(deep breath)
(drumming)
Lean in to the tree,
and flow through, down, to the roots
Taste the waters that run far below the surface
I have memory of the stars in each cell
I have memory of the stars in each cell (softer)
We all have memory from the stars
Do you remember?
Do you remember?
rrrRRROOTS rrAGH rRRumble and QUAKE (roared)
SHIFT, and lift (lighter), lift, lift, lift, lift,
lift into the light
(long sip breath in)
The warmth of the noon time sun
clears the sticky darkness
that’s been lingering on my edges.
Rot and decay has fed new life
Trust. Be. Breathe.
(full and round breaths out)
Breathe with the ebb and flow of the
Entirety of creation
For the tide is no different than you or I
The same cycles that my ancestors saw
The same cycles that my ancestors saw
I reach with all my might to that life-giving starlight (smiling)
(breath out)
Into the land, I grow
And counting, from turtle shell calendars
The same cycles the ancestors saw
The same cycles the ancestors saw
You are here now.
You are the seed.
Encapsulated, contained, safe (breath in)
And loved beyond measure.
Take a moment, my dear.
And when you move from here,
Feel your heart beat.
(Breaths in and out)
(Drumming heartbeat)
About the sculpture
While creating this project, I would often peruse Facebook Marketplace looking for items that could be repurposed or just to find inspiration. One day the algorithm showed me an egg chair like this, and I immediately thought: Myriah. My intuition must have known that her story would be a place of holding and being held.
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While Myriah wrote her poem, we spoke about alterations that could be done to the chair, and the idea of the chair as a seed (and perhaps a Grief Seed) developed. We decided to close the walls, which Ella meticulously sewed with fabric from my sister, which has already lived through many art projects.
We wanted the person inside to feel cozy and held, but a door/curtain might cause awkward interruptions, so Myriah loaned her shawl to help 'cocoon' inside, while allowing people on the outside to see when the seed is occupied.
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Finally, her voice. After recording and chatting through possibilities, Myriah requested that her voice come through a stuffed star or tree seed plushie. By the very next day, Ella had crafted this huggable acorn that I never want to let go of.
In preparing her story, Myriah told me she might speak from 10,000 years away, from the stars; and so the stars are also here with you today.
Ma Myriah Peace
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Myriah is an Inuk, L’nu, and Scottish mother, artist, and poet who was raised on unceded and unsurrendered traditional Anishnaabe Algonquin territory. Myriah has had a lifelong love of the natural world. Learning about organic vegetable gardening with her mother from an early age, Myriah has journeyed deeper into her passionate curiosity and respect for our plant relatives and our Earth. Myriah's dedication to community and culture have led her through many natural expressions of these passions, from grassroots activism and artistry to seeking higher education and work experience that aligns with her generous nature and community-minded spirit. Further inspired by her belief that all humans deserve food security and food sovereignty; Myriah is continuing to live her values through teaching, by studying Herbalism and through growing organic food with prayer. Myriah is approaching 15 years of practical experience with a variety of Indigenous healing modalities. She holds value in her spirituality and traditional teachings. She is a Drum Carrier, a Pipe Carrier, and a Helper within some Indigenous communities here in Ottawa.
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Special thanks to...
Myriah, Jo-Anne, Ella