Land speaks to us, though it often takes generations to learn how to listen. In the Haida language, g̱udgwáa tl’áas xaat’áay means “the last people on earth.” Across many Indigenous languages, the word for the people translates to “people of the land.” This painting holds an understanding of human beings as carriers—of songs, materials, and knowledge passed forward through time. It reflects a way of living shaped by attention, responsibility, and the ongoing work of tending one’s own spirit.

Project with ARTXIV & FFTT, Seattle Art Week 2024