Our Red lake spirit
CIRCA 2019
Artist statement - Curators Karen barrett & Reyna Cruz Lussier
The exhibit “Our Red Lake Spirit” pays tribute to community healing through the drum and traditional practice. Our Red Lake Spirit represents the significance of Love, Humility, Bravery, Courage, Truth, Honesty, Respect, and our way of life in Red Lake. In the modern day life here at Red Lake Band of Ojibwe our women, children and our warriors live and feel the effects of what our ancestors faced and lived through hundreds of years ago. It is in our DNA, the blood that runs through our veins generation after generation. Today we witness our tribal people struggle with modern day genocide like drugs and alcohol and addictions. We live here and we can see, we can feel, we can love, and be Red Lake’s strength that lives on in all of us. We receive this strength from our land and lake and spiritual beliefs. It is in our humanness of beauty, resiliency, we share with each other. It gives us what we want and need to be who we really are. We will love one another and heal from any obstacle because this place we call home holds us together as a tribal people. We will always be here in some form or another.
This video presentation features an interview with curator Karen Barrett and Reyna Lussier, and photo and video work produced by artists from Red Lake Nation.