BOBBILEE COPELAND
VISIONARY ARTIST
"S7ukw"
S7ukw means the land formed by the flow of the water.
Qu7 (water) is connected to everything. I see that the Fraser River flows into Bridge River, Seaton Lake, Harrison Lake, and the Pacific Ocean. All these beautiful bodies of water I had a privilege to live close to. These are the locations I painted with water colours. While I painted them, I reflected on the stories I heard my elders tell me, the fishing techniques my dad taught me, and having a bath after attending a ceremony. We learn by listening to stories, shadowing and experiential. Qu7 provides nutrients to tmicw (land), úcwalmicw (people) and animals. Our food and medicine are harvested in or near water. Our way of life is our relationship to the land and water. I depict them by drawing pictographs with Indian Ink.
Colonization has changed our relationship with Mother Earth. We have to get special licences to fish or hunt for food and medicine for our families and communities. With beaches and parks being over crowed, we cannot practice our ceremonies without having people interrupting. Pollution is changing the colours of our water and our glaciers are getting smaller and smaller, making water unsafe to drink. I have used acrylic paint for the small glaciers and grey pavement taking over our land and water.
Learning our traditional languages will rebuild our relationship with land and water. Language helps us keep our stories being told and our traditions strong. I am a silent speaker. I can hear and understand St’át’imc but I have a difficult time with pronouncing glottal consonants. I have added a collage of St’át’imc words onto my canvas. Some are missing glottals.
kukwstum̓úlhkacw
Qu7 (water) is connected to everything. I see that the Fraser River flows into Bridge River, Seaton Lake, Harrison Lake, and the Pacific Ocean. All these beautiful bodies of water I had a privilege to live close to. These are the locations I painted with water colours. While I painted them, I reflected on the stories I heard my elders tell me, the fishing techniques my dad taught me, and having a bath after attending a ceremony. We learn by listening to stories, shadowing and experiential. Qu7 provides nutrients to tmicw (land), úcwalmicw (people) and animals. Our food and medicine are harvested in or near water. Our way of life is our relationship to the land and water. I depict them by drawing pictographs with Indian Ink.
Colonization has changed our relationship with Mother Earth. We have to get special licences to fish or hunt for food and medicine for our families and communities. With beaches and parks being over crowed, we cannot practice our ceremonies without having people interrupting. Pollution is changing the colours of our water and our glaciers are getting smaller and smaller, making water unsafe to drink. I have used acrylic paint for the small glaciers and grey pavement taking over our land and water.
Learning our traditional languages will rebuild our relationship with land and water. Language helps us keep our stories being told and our traditions strong. I am a silent speaker. I can hear and understand St’át’imc but I have a difficult time with pronouncing glottal consonants. I have added a collage of St’át’imc words onto my canvas. Some are missing glottals.
kukwstum̓úlhkacw