and Elwood Jimmy - Speaking My Truth

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Seeds of Lubestrok and Stolen Strength are two works from a substantial body ofwork that Sandra and James used to trace and deepen the dialogue between theindigenous and the non-indigenous in Canada. James and Sandra recognized that theirintercultural marriage was, in day-to-day life, an opportunity to make political, social,and psychological structures created by histories of colonialism, occupation of the land,and racism visible to themselves and others through their art practices. The late JamesNicholas was Rock Cree from Nelson House, Manitoba. His great-grandfather wasmedicine man Pierre Moose. His parents, Lionel and Sarah, used traditional medicinesto help their community. James grew up traditionally on the trapline. At the age of eighthe was sent to residential school. In the 1970 s he studied in British Columbia workingwith Bob Manuel, son of native strategist George Manuel, while continuing his dialogueswith political activists Rodney Spence and Phil Fontaine from Manitoba. He providedleadership to his community in education, economic development, and government-togovernmentliaison. In the 1990 s James relocated to Vancouver where he engaged thearts of acting, writing, and art. He made many collaborative works with his wife, SandraSemchuk, and these challenge the known history of relations between First Nationsand settler cultures. James was killed in 2007 when he fell from a cliff at a fishing campon the Fraser River. Sandra is Ukrainian Canadian, a photographer and videographer.Sandra grew up in a grocery store in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. Martin Semchuk wasa socialist who helped bring in medicare to Saskatchewan. Her mother ran the grocerystore. Sandra’s photographic collaborations and video works use autobiography anddialogue as the basis for recognition and identity. She collaborated with her fatherthrough four near-death experiences. As a partner in Treaties (where there are Treatiesin Canada), member of the settler culture and widow of James Nicholas, Sandra triesto disrupt myths that historically have shaped settler relations to First Nations, usingpersonal experience as a basis for storytelling. A number of collaborations with Jamesare still in production after his death. Sandra teaches at Emily Carr University of Artand Design in Vancouver and has recently completed a residency in Prince Albert,Saskatchewan, sponsored by the Indigenous Peoples Artists Collective and CommonWeal Community Arts. Her collaborations are exhibited nationally and internationally.Elwood Jimmy is originally from the Thunderchild First Nation in west centralSaskatchewan. Currently based in the city of Regina, he is the director of SâkêwêwakArtists’ Collective, southeastern Saskatchewan’s centre for contemporary Aboriginalart production, presentation, and education. Apart from his work with Sâkêwêwak,Elwood works independently as an artist, curator, and writer. His work has beenpresented across Canada in several communities from British Columbia to Quebecand the Northwest Territories.
‘On Loan’: Thoughts on stolen strength, seeds of lubestrok,seeds of truth, seeds of reconciliationA conversation on the collaborative work of Sandra Semchukand James Nicholas 1Long before the arrival of the Europeans, papâmihâw asiniy falls to the earth; itis revered as a gift, a sign, a protector, as medicine from the Creator to the FirstPeoples of the plains.In 1821, George Millward McDougall is born. In 1860, as the newly appointedChairman of the Western Methodist Missionary District, McDougallestablishes and oversees missions all over the region that we now know asManitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, including the Victoria Mission on thenorth bank of the North Saskatchewan River.In 1866, McDougall encounters papâmihâw asiniy.McDougall promptly and boldly steals papâmihâw asiniy from its originalsite in efforts to strip all vestiges of Aboriginal culture and world view. It ismoved to the farmyard of the Victoria Mission. McDougall believes by stealingpapâmihâw asiniy, the First Peoples will embrace the church. It has the oppositeeffect. Fearing more conflict, McDougall has papâmihâw asiniy taken toWinnipeg, where it is taken to Victoria College in Toronto, where it is taken to theRoyal Ontario Museum vault.I do not know the truth of this iron rock, this fallen meteor, as did my latehusband, Pau was stik, James Nicholas, or as you, Elwood, do, or as yourmother does. I witnessed that James’s prayers were humble. Through them heunderstood Big Bear’s realization that when papâmihâw asiniy was stolen thenewcomers’ intentions were not good. This was a turning point in the relationsbetween those that had inherent rights to the land, your people Elwood, andthose that wanted them.My understanding of how the past is the present, is and is not lived through mylate husband’s eyes, or from my awareness of you Elwood, your compassion,your history, and your struggle to help your people. I am not informed byspeaking Cree but through dialogue with James, and with you I have learnedsomething of the depth of the language and the laws and wisdom embedded inlanguage that are in resistance to colonization.Cultivating Canada | 59
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Page 11 and 12: eaking the prairie wool and clearin
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Page 15 and 16: Notes1 Elwood Jimmy acknowledges th

and Elwood Jimmy - Speaking My Truth

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