Nathan Meguinis
Calgary, Canada
Danitdada (how are you doing or hello):Danitdada (how are you doing or hello):
Nathan Patrick Meguinis is my name, but I am also known as Buffalo Boy, Traveling Rock, and Kind Hearted Man. Two of my names were earned, and one was given to me at birth by my Great-great-grandmother Bessie Inaa.
My artwork is a unique cultural visual expression of my Tsuut’ina (Dèné Nation) way of life which is a part of the International Peace Treaty #7. My art, murals, animations and illustrations are a unique contemporary stylization; a mix of abstraction, and realism that tells stories, historical events or philosophy.
I have worked for my language department for three years, in which I create artwork to help teach Tsuut’ina, and I’ve created language animations. Dèné Gunaha is My People’s Language.”
“In this mural artwork I felt like I needed to make something that has an orange background as a reminder of the poor 215 babies who were found and how that number is in the thousands presently and the realities of the “generational impact” that the residential school had to this day. I am relearning my language because of that and I used my art to help save my language.
I also had a feeling to create something to honour my people, the great Dèné Nation, and we are the Beaver people of the Treaty 7 territory.
Mural Title
“September 22, 1877”
Mural Statement
Tsuutina is one of the seven Nations that went into a international peace Treaty with the British Crown.
Someone equal to royalty is the head leadership of my Nation, and that is “Chiila” or also known as Bullhead.
He is the one that signed the Treaties and is also a well respected individual.
The magpies flying with orange ribbons symbolize them bringing the little ones home who we’re lost from the residential schools system, and also remembering the ones that survived.
The Teepee represents our home fires and that a lot goes into these teachings like the simple act of putting up a teepee or comprehending a new age philosophy that the Teepee shows you just from still having it here presently.
We are all Treaty people… every Canadian citizen in Treaty Lands are Treaty people.
It’s seems like a new idea to the general public but to me and a lot of like-minded people we know we are all Treaty people
SPONSORS
