Gaa-izhi-bangang (Anishinaabemowin)

Heather George, Judi Henhawk-Sault, Jai King Green, Dawn Martin Hill, Trama Textile Women’s Collective, 2023

Installation Images

A dimly lit room with pillows and blankets around the edges and interactive elements along the back wall. As you enter there is a chair on our left. Both walls on our left and right are lined with rock shaped pillows of varying sizes in light and dark greys, beige, and creams. Hand woven blankets with blue and black stripes are draped on the pillows. On the back wall starting on our left is a cube with a set of headphones. Next to that are four scent boxes on a small podium. In the right back corner is a clay fountain on a podium next to a chair and set of head phones.
A collection of four small round containers with swivel lids, containing traditional plant medicines, sit on a podium. The containers are placed in a row attached to the podium with retractable wire. They are about the size of a squat water glass and are made of a blonde wood. Inside of the containers, from our left to right, are little mesh satchels of dark green flaky cedar, reddish brown tobacco leaves, thin light green strands of sweet grass, and light blue grey curled sage leaves.
A clay fountain made out of five similar small pots and a large terra cotta pot sit on a white pedestal. The small pots are a dark reddish brown with a bulbous round base that tapers at the neck before flaring out at the rim. The body of the pots are highly textured and bumpy with a ring of smooth triangles pointing down around the outside edge. Three of the smaller pots sit in the large terracotta pot. One pot is turned upside down at an angle, sitting in the lip of another pot so that water overflows into the terracotta pot. A third pot rests on its side in front. They are nestled in a bed of smooth black, grey, and sand colored stones. In front of the terra cotta pot on the pedestal are two additional pots and river stones.

Guided Tactile Descriptions

Scent Boxes

A collection of four small round containers with swivel lids, containing traditional plant medicines, sit on a podium. The containers are placed in a row attached to the podium with retractable wire. They are about the size of a squat water glass and are made of blonde wood. Inside of the containers from our left to right, are little mesh satchels of dark green flaky cedar, reddish brown tobacco leaves, thin light green strands of sweet grass, and light blue grey curled sage leaves. The wood of the containers is a light sand color with stripes of very thin slightly darker brown lines. The wood is smooth to the touch and the edges have been rounded. To open a container, swivel the lid clockwise and it will slide open and remain attached. You are invited to smell the cedar, tobacco, sweet grass, and sage.

Words that Come Before All Else

Thanksgiving Address

Everyone gathered, now is the time to listen to the words that come before all else and give greetings, thanks and respect to all the gifts of Creation.

Everyone as one, we bring our minds together and give greetings, thanks and respect for the people gathered here and that peace will be among them. Now our minds are one.

Everyone as one, we bring our minds together and give greetings, thanks , and respect for
Mother Earth. We are grateful for all she provides here on Earth. Now our minds are one.

Everyone as one, we bring our minds together and give greetings, thanks, and respect for water; all bodies of water, and that clean water keeps running all over the earth. It keeps our thirst quenched. Now our minds are one.

Everyone as one, we bring our minds together and give greetings, thanks, and respect for fish. They give us strength so we don’t go hungry. Now our minds are one.

Everyone as one, we bring our minds together and give greetings, thanks, and respect for the grasses and new growing things. Some we use as food and some as medicine. Now our minds are one.

Everyone as one, we bring our minds together and give greetings, thanks and respect for medicines, that they still help us when we are sick. Now our minds are one.

Everyone as one, we bring our minds together and give greetings, thanks, and respect for the handing fruits and recognize the strawberry as the leader of the berry family. We are grateful to still see them growing on earth. Now our minds are one.

Everyone as one, we bring our minds together and give greetings, thanks, and respect for the food plants. We recognize the three sisters, the corn, beans, and squash as the leaders. We are grateful they sustain us. Now our minds are one.

Everyone as one, we bring our minds together and give greetings, thanks, and respect for the trees and shrubs. We recognize the Maple as the leader and are thankful that sap still runs every year. Now our minds are one.

Everyone as one, we bring our minds together and give greetings, thanks, and respect for the insects. We are thankful they help to take care of the soils. Now our minds are one.

Everyone as one, we bring our minds together and give greetings, thanks, and respect for wild animals. We recognize the deer as the leader. We are grateful that they still help us when we are cold and hungry. Now our minds are one.

Everyone as one, we bring our minds together and give greetings, thanks, and respect for the birds, that we still hear the nice singing that they bring. We recognise the Eagle as the leader and that they still sit on tops of the trees to watch over us the people. Now our minds are one.

Everyone as one, we bring our minds together and give greetings, thanks, respect for the four winds, that help to bring change and new seasons. Now our minds are one.

Everyone as one, we bring our minds together and give greetings, thanks, and respect for our grandfathers the thunderers, that they make new waters. Now our minds are one.

Everyone as one, we bring our minds together and give greetings, thanks and respect for the great warrior, our elder brother the sun, that it is still bright and warms the earth. Now our minds are one.

Everyone as one, we bring our minds together and give greetings, thanks, and respect for our grandmother, the moon, that she is still in charge of when children are born. Now our minds are one.

Everyone as one, we bring our minds together and give greetings, thanks, and respect for the stars, that they dress the sky for our grandmother the moon. Now our minds are one.

Everyone as one, we bring our minds together and give greetings, thanks and respect for the four messengers; their job is to take care of the people. Now our minds are one.

Everyone as one, we bring our minds together as one and give our thanks to the Creator for everything that he has done for the people. Now our minds are one.

We have now arrived at the place where we end our words. Of all the things we have named, it was not our intention to leave anything out. If something was forgotten, we leave it to each individual to send such greetings and thanks in their own way. Those are the words, it is done.

Installation Details

Bizaan ayaan, naanaagadawendan gaye izhaan imaa Gaa-izhi-bangang.

Omaa ginandomigoo ji-bizindaman Hwaadinoshwaanii Miigwechiwendamowin Giigidowin (gemaa Ikidowinan Gaa-dagoshinoomagakin Nitam). Miigwechiwendamom gakina gaa-bimaadiziimagak gaye gaa-ayaamagak bimaadiziwining gaa-bimaaji'igoying. Waabandan nibi gaa-zaagijijiwang waabiganing gaa-gii-ozhitood Judie Henhawk-Sault, daabishkoo onzibiingwaanan gaa-gii-mawiying gii-nishiwemagak iwe gichi-aakoziwi. Minaandan mashkikiwan (mashkode-wiingwashk, giishkaatig, wiingwashk, asemaa) e-achigaadegin makakong ji-izhiwinigooying akiing.

Bizaanigo dagwiinaaniwan omaa. Ginandawenimigoo ji-zaaminaman, ji-minaandaman, ji-bagidinaman, gaye ji-bizindaman.

About the Artist

A portrait of a person with light skin and a grey beard looking at us.