Nipissing First Nation Chief uses isolation period to channel creativity to share with all
By Kelly Anne Smith
NIPISSING FIRST NATION— Scott McLeod, Nipissing First Nation (NFN) Chief and Anishinabek Nation Lake Huron Regional Chief, is doing his best to entertain, inspire and be supportive during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Chief McLeod sings songs strumming his guitar, has smudged and he shared a work of art for viewers on Facebook.
“I’ve been sharing because we are all so isolated. Not only is it good for me to stay busy but I think it’s good for my responsibility to help others pass the time and feel a little more at ease.”
The Chief’s artistic side shines through in a Facebook video series on the progression of cleaning a moose skull to the finished work. He talked about being grateful to have harvested the moose and had put down tobacco. Chief McLeod explained the artwork on the skull as representing the Seven Grandfather Teachings and the four directions.
After doing fine work with feathers and beads and some leather work around the steel wiring on the antlers, he wall-mounted the skull. In ‘Moose Part 6: The Unveiling’, he talked of being pleased with the outcome.
“I’m pretty happy with it. Off to the next project. Hope you guys are all enjoying your down time and making the best of it. Get into those projects. Things that you’ve been putting off. You’ll be surprised how fast your day goes by and how good you feel inside. Take care, wash your hands, stay at home.”
Chief McLeod explains his artistic views.
“I like to fool around with different media. Anything I do, I try to turn it into art,” reflects the Chief. “When I do the things that I do everyday and decide to share some of them, I try to look at it from an artistic point of view. Because I find that once you do that, it reaches more people and they get more from it. That’s what I try to do with my music. That’s what I try to do with almost every aspect of my life. I try to make it interesting so I can engage more people.”
Chief McLeod has been encouraging people to share a piece of themselves online too.
“Singing and playing music is the same as doing a painting. If you were to do a painting and then put it in a closet and not allow anybody to see it or get a reaction from it, is it really art?
Art has to have not only the expression of the artist but it also has to have the reaction from the viewer or the listener. Unless you have those two components, it’s not really art.”
“Whether it’s karaoke or telling a joke or telling a story, I think now is the time everybody needs to just get there and express themselves.”
Chief McLeod says art is a big part of getting through this.
“Now more than ever, people are starting to see the importance of art and expression. It is truly a big piece of the fabric of humanity. It’s getting us through these times.”
It was hard to slow down at first says the Chief.
“For the first few days, I must have put about twenty miles of pacing in my small apartment. When you’re doing busy 10-12-hour days everyday, and you’re going from meeting to meeting and place to place and then all of a sudden – you’re halted.”
Chief McLeod rarely leaves his place now.
“I go out to get essentials if I need them. I spend my time walking in the bush or fiddling around in the garage or playing music.”
Chief McLeod wants to stay connected and encourages others to join him when he goes live.
“I decided with the social media, it’s just a good idea to share that with people because they find it interesting and takes them away from boredom and the monotony of isolation,” he says.
“Everybody is anxious and a little bit stressed right now. If I can get them thinking of doing stuff like gathering medicines or reading that book that they have been putting off, it will help their day go by a little easier.”