Advocacy: We Are All Connected

The ARITZEN International Conference on Art for Social Transformation was held in November 2021 in Johannesburg, South Africa. I was one of six Turtle Island ambassadors to travel to South Africa to participate and present our stories through art.

On the first day of the conference, we shared the presentation Using Art to Remember We Are All Connected. During this workshop, we shared our indigenous teachings with a group of local high-school students. By sharing our stories, we set the stage to allow each group to share their own stories.

First Teaching
The first teaching was the Anishinaabe creation story. Gitchi Manitou, the Great Mystery, created earth and man by shaking his rattle to create the universe. The meanings of the four directions help to build the foundation for the artwork students create during the workshop. The north is the mind, the east is spirit, the south is emotion, and the west is the body.

Second Teaching
The second teaching was about the impacts of colonialism. We shared how our people were affected and forever changed by colonization. For example, in an effort to preserve traditional cultural crafting, European trade goods such as the ribbons brought to North America by the French were incorporated into indigenous regalia. We also discussed the 1970s signing of the Indian Civil Rights Act, when a surge of indigenous people reconnected with their traditional teachings after they were forced to renounce them.

Third Teaching
The third teaching in this workshop was the teaching of the sacred circle. The ribbon skirt is considered a circle because, as women make these skirts, they are reminded of their connectedness to Mother Earth and Creator.

In the center of the medicine wheel is a point and that point is Creator. The medicine wheel does not come alive without Creator in the same way that a ribbon skirt does not come alive without the wearer.

Mandalas with Meaning
Participants were asked to reflect on the following questions: Where did I come from? Where am I going? Why am I here? Who am I? Each group created a visual representation of their answers to these questions using a medicine wheel mandala template. Each group member was tasked with completing one section, while the group collaborated on the meaning. Students worked together to figure out the symbols and colors that would represent their answers. After students created their mandalas, each group shared what it meant to them.

For one group, the color green represents where they are from (the motherland), and blue represents the opportunities they are given. White represents the peace they have now in South Africa, after apartheid. While black was the smallest section of the mandala because it was the most overlooked and underrated color, and being that it’s in the center, it represents that it is the one that holds the entire mandala together.

For another group, black took up the largest space and represents the Indigenous peoples. The color green represents the land, and red symbolizes the blood that was shed for the land. The white border represents the peace they currently have after apartheid. Blue symbolizes water and yellow represents the sun that shines for all.

Final Thoughts
Inquiry and self-reflection are both vital to self-awareness and social awareness. When we question and spend time answering through art-making with one another, we start to open up to new possibilities. We utilize the competencies for social-emotional learning, and we touch on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Sharing our stories with one another is the most valuable way to remember we are all connected. When we remember we are all connected, the world will heal and we will live in harmony again.