Was very excited to be part of the final dinner in the Making Treaty 7 Common Ground Dinner Series last night. Making Treaty 7 explores the historical significance of the events at Blackfoot Crossing in 1877, while investigating the consequences and implications of Treaty 7, 140 years later. Over a fabulous meal at the Tsuu T’ina Nation’s Grey Eagle Restaurant we discussed the artistic and cultural implications of Treaty 7 and how we perceive the land.
At the dinner I premiered my artistic response to Making Treaty 7:
For the creation of Seven Approximate Circles, the seven participants in the “Safety & Security” discussion group of the Common Ground Dinner Series were asked to bring a small pebble from “home” (however they defined the word). I then traced each pebble once with ink diluted in the water of Calgary’s Bow River (and applied with a horse hair brush) and six additional times with graphite – 7 tracings per pebble. Echoing the treaty number of the Calgary region (Treaty 7), the 7 sacred teachings and the changing vision of home; Seven Approximate Circles leaves their gestures open, searching for closure; lines bent in healing discussion.
This final dinner also included work by a number of artists, including an installation by Tamara Cardinal on the crest behind Grey Eagle
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