‘Me Artsy’ a collection of stories of culture and creative expression
Reviewed By Marci Becking
Me Artsy explores the relationship between the First Nations artistic spirit and indigenous perspective through the voices of 14 contributors.
It’s interesting to read about what inspires the artistic spirit.
I was very intrigued with scholar Karyn Recollet’s piece entitled “For Sisters”. Recollet explores the art of hip hop with expressing a worldview of urban indigenous and colonialism.
Recollet writes:
The movement –
Shawl sways in orbs and light
Breakthroughs – ruptures … breath
She moves with her sisters because she loves them
Pulsations of life-blood transposed into syncopated beats
Looping old stories on the new, new on the old … traversing
Urban and back again to join the electric powwow
We dance –the past is in our future – star walkers
Celebrating our connections
Traces she leaves –
Glyphed Indigitized space
She is continuity –
Her love for hip hop shapes her feet as wings
(Recollet 2014)
In February, I had the opportunity to listen to hip hop artist Shibastik from Thunder Bay. In his songs he talks about the intergenerational affects of residential schools, racism, colonialism, abuse and the environment. Through his lyrics he teaches and reaches out to a demographic who can relate – and learn from his messages. His song “Hurt people, hurt people” speaks to the cycle of violence that often happens in our communities.
It’s through art, song and dance that First Nations can share and teach the indigenous world view.
In Recollet’s analysis of A Tribe Called Red’s video for the song “Sisters”, she discusses everything from what the actors are wearing – the urban topography and the fancy shawl dance to the relationship between corn, beans and squash. Haundenosaunee traditional knowledge speaks to the sacred relationship of the three.
Me Artsy is a very insightful collection – a true voice of the artistic spirit of Indigenous Peoples.
Contributors include Chef David Wolfman, filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk, actor/playwright Monique Mojica, painter Marianne Nicolson, fashion designer Kim Picard, painter Maxine Noel, blues pianist Murray Porter, scholar Karyn Recollet, dancer/choreographer Santee Smith, director/actor Rose Stella, traditional drummer Steve Teekens, writer and storyteller Richard Van Camp and manga artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas.
Me Artsy is the third in a series compiled by author/playwright Drew Hayden Taylor of Curve Lake First Nation. Previous collections, Me Funny and Me Sexy.
Me Artsy, Compiled and edited by Drew Hayden Taylor, Douglas & McIntyre, 249 pages, $22.95 ISBN: 978-1-77162-0703